Jun 12, 2008 11:41 am US/Eastern
Man Who Threatened Police Online In Bond Court
Coral Springs Police Department Was Put On Alert
Among The Alleged Threats He Stated He'd Be The Next Bin Laden
CORAL SPRINGS (CBS4) ―
A Broward judge has increased the bond for a 25-year old Margate man accused of allegedly threatening the Coral Springs Police Department online.
During his appearance in bond court Thursday morning, bond for Jean Vargas was raised from $35-hundred to $10-thousand after the state requested an increase due to the "seriousness" of the crime.
Wednesday fire and police stations throughout Coral Springs were put on alert with extra security after receiving a tip about someone on a MySpace page that was making threats against them.
The page showed Vargas pointing a 357 magnum, and saying, "IMA go 2 a shooting spree to da CSPD," police translated that to mean Vargas intended to go on a shooting spree at the Coral Springs Police Department.
After deeming the threat as credible, heavily armed officers were stationed at police headquarters and fire stations throughout the city as a precaution.
Wednesday afternoon police arrested Vargas in Margate, and charged him with Making a Written Threat to Cause Bodily Harm.
Yolanda Medina found out about the news of her son being arrested, and was crying when
CBS4's Tiffani Helberg caught up with her.
"Just now I was calling," Medina said as she sobbed.
She said she thought Jean was at the library.
Medina says her son had been under psychological treatment in the past.
"He had a psychologist who would come to the house," said Medina, "but after that we moved and I didn't know anything else."
"He was playing around, everything was a joke man," said Joe Vargas, Jean's brother. "He was playing around, he was playing around, this wasn't serious."
Police say Vargas is cooperating with their investigation and has told them where they can find the gun in the picture. Vargas is being held at the main jail in Broward County.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
