On Sunday, October 29th, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office began receiving information of a local Orange County resident posting multiple threatening messages involving violence to persons and property to his social media account. The Sheriff’s Office received numerous calls from government officials, school districts, and citizens concerning the posts. Several area schools and businesses had heightened their security on Monday due to the threats. After conducting an investigation, the Sheriff’s Office was able to obtain an arrest warrant for Barry Bates, 56. An arrest was made on Bates after a traffic stop on Monday afternoon, and the subject is now in the custody of the Orange County Jail for the following charge:
Terroristic Threat-3rd Degree Felony
The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the ATF, FBI, and Judge Hershel Stagner for their help with this investigation. This continues to be an ongoing investigation.
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