The 17-year-old suspect from Medina County, Ohio, accused of calling in bomb threats to area high schools in January will remain in custody at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center awaiting a hearing April 24 that will determine whether his case will be waived to adult court.
Porter County Juvenile Court Magistrate Kristen Mulligan heard two petitions regarding charges against the boy, who is not being named by the Post-Tribune because he is a minor in juvenile court. The first was a Petition Alleging Delinquency, which had specific allegations against the teen.
It was not addressed as the magistrate focused on the second petition, a Petition for Waiver from Juvenile Court Jurisdiction petitioning he be tried as an adult. The first petition would be moot in Mulligan’s court if she ultimately determines he should be tried as an adult.
The allegations describe three counts. The first alleges that on Jan. 4, 2023, the teen falsely represented himself as an FBI agent to officials within the Valparaiso Police Department, a Class A misdemeanor if he were to be charged as an adult.
The second and third charges allege he communicated a threat that he would commit an act of terrorism that caused evacuation when he called in bomb threats to Valparaiso and Portage high schools on Jan. 26, 2023, each a Level 5 felony should he be tried as an adult.
Schools in Chicago and its suburbs have seen an increase in such threats, according to a recent Chicago Tribune article in which a spokesperson for the FBI’s Chicago office said that between January 2023 and March 3, they have received approximately 10 incident reports per month. If reports continue at this rate, it would be a hike of about 42%.
Porter County Probation Officer Matt Bonick recommended to the court that the teen not be transferred to the custody of his parents as requested by defense attorney John Vouga. “We believe the concerns with safety to the community continue to exist and he should remain detained pending a waiver hearing,” Bonick said.
“There’s an element of frustration here, because there’s a boy who’s separated from his parents,” Vouga told Mulligan. “It would simply be a directive of keeping him away from any and all computers, which wouldn’t be difficult. I don’t think he has any in the home.”
Mulligan explained that an interstate compact, which would be required for her to allow the boy’s return to Ohio, isn’t allowed during predisposition.
Typically, a petition for waiver to adult court hearing must take place within 20 days, but the defendant, his parents and attorney were all in agreement to the April 24 hearing, set for 1:30 p.m. It is expected to take the entire afternoon with parties exchanging discovery at that time.
Porter County Deputy Prosecutor John Shanahan said there are allegations of incidents here in Northwest Indiana beyond what was presented in Monday’s petition, so it’s possible the petition will be amended. “In this case, the state’s obligation is to prove the offense is so serious in nature as to be inappropriate to be tried in juvenile court,” Shanahan said. “And we have to prove that the juvenile’s beyond the rehabilitative capability of juvenile court.”
Rehabilitation was allegedly beyond the abilities of juvenile courts in Medina County, Ohio, as authorities there confirmed the teen was adjudicated there three years ago for similar threats. They also confirmed he is a suspect in 30 other “swatting” cases across the U.S. and Canada, so called for the need to bring in a SWAT unit for the nature of such calls.
Should the defendant be waived charges will be filed in adult court. Vouga is concerned for the teen’s safety should he be waived to adult court and transferred to the Porter County Jail. If he is not waived to adult court, a fact-finding hearing would be the next step in juvenile court.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
