Arrests made in online threats against Florida sheriff who took a stand against antisemitism in his county
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood outside his home in Port Orange
By Jamiel Lynch, CNN
Three people have been arrested after allegedly making online threats against the Volusia County Sheriff over comments he made against a neo-Nazi hate group.
Earlier this year, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood addressed a spike in antisemitic fliers and messages on literature and banners, including at the Daytona International Speedway during races.
Shortly after, Chitwood became the target of an antisemitic group.
In a February news conference, Chitwood called them a “radical group of cowardly scumbags.”
“These scumbags came to the wrong county,” Chitwood added. “We have unity in this county. We stand beside one another in this county and we stand beside our Jewish neighbors. We are not going to tolerate this. This is not about free speech. This is about violence.”
After the news conference, police began investigating anonymous online threats to kill the sheriff, the agency said.
On Thursday, Cristhian Zapata, 23, was arrested in Connecticut for threats made on 4chan against the sheriff, according to a release.
Zapata allegedly posted to 4chan on April 7, “I will kill Chitwood, Mark my words,” the release said.
He told police he made the post after hearing about recent events in Florida, the release continued.
Zapata remains in custody in Connecticut pending extradition to Volusia County. It is unknown if he has an attorney.
In March, Richard Golden, 38, of New Jersey and Tyler Meyer, 30, of San Diego were charged with making a written threat to kill or cause injury by posting the threat in a 4chan chat.
Multiple firearms, ammunition and electronics were seized from Meyer’s home, the sheriff’s office said.
Meyer was taken into custody in San Diego and is to be extradited to Volusia County, according to the release. It is unknown if he has an attorney.
Jail records show Golden is out on bond. CNN has reached out to his attorney for comment.
The-CNN-Wire
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