A North Carolina man has been charged with sending a threatening email to a Virginia Beach Catholic school that prompted leaders to cancel classes for two days last week.
Bobby Dale Francisco, 30, was arrested Friday and charged with threatening bodily harm in writing, according to a Virginia Beach police spokesman. The crime is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
Francisco was taken into custody at his home in South Mills, North Carolina, by a Currituck County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, according to a post on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page . He’s being held on a $1 million secured bond until he can be extradited to Virginia, the post said.
St. John the Apostle Catholic School, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, received the threat Wednesday and contacted police, according to a notices sent to parents. In one notice, Superintendent of Catholic Schools Michael Riley said the threat had been made “in response to news coverage” related to a recent student disciplinary decision made by the school.