Teenager Faces Charges Over Center Grove Threats
INDIANAPOLIS — An 18-year-old was arrested Friday morning after authorities say he posted threats against Center Grove schools on social media. He faces a preliminary charge of communication of intimidation and was booked into the Johnson County Jail.
Investigators arrested Adrian Abundio Valente after serving a search warrant at his home near East 36th Street and North Post Road on the far east side of Indianapolis, Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess said.
The investigation began late Thursday after Center Grove Community School Corp. received a threatening message on its social media account, believed to be Instagram. The post indicated someone planned to do something at a school Friday.
“We take these threats very seriously,” Burgess said. “We know from the past what can happen.”
Burgess said investigators worked through the night to identify who made the post and determine whether the threat was credible.
“The men and women involved in this investigation worked diligently through the hours last night,” he said.
Burgess said the threat appeared to be connected to other posts circulating on social media, including references to political protests. He said the suspect may have believed the school was connected to one of those posts.
“I think this is somebody sitting behind a keyboard, typing and making these threats,” Burgess said. “But it’s just not going to be tolerated.”
He said the focus of the investigation was protecting students and staff.
“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure our kids, our staff and everybody in our schools are safe,” Burgess said. “The prosecutor’s not going to tolerate this, and neither are we.”
Additional security was in place at Center Grove schools Friday as a precaution. Possible charges were not immediately announced
