VCU and Prince William County PD collaborate in text-threat arrest
VCU Police said they received a report from a man who received a threatening text message from a known acquaintance on Oct. 4. The man said the text message referenced the recent shootings at a community college in Oregon and advised the recipient to stay away from the VCU campus.
VCU PD said the man who received the text is not affiliated with VCU but contacted VCU Police with the information. VCU Police detectives determined that the phone used to send the text message was in Woodbridge, Va., and with assistance from the Prince William County Police Department, VCUPD detectives interviewed the male suspect.
The suspect admitted to sending the text, but VCU Police said they do not believe there was a credible threat against the recipient of the text or the VCU community.
The Prince William County Police Department has charged Nathaniel Antonio Brache, 22, of Woodbridge, for sending threatening text messages, a misdemeanor. Police said Brache is unaffiliated with Virginia Commonwealth University.
The report of Brache’s text came just two days after VCU PD issued crime alert texts to the VCU community about reports of a potentially armed suspect on the core campus.
The text alerts were issued the morning after the Oregon shooting, but after searching and monitoring the area near Grace and Belvidere, VCU PD said they could not confirm the report of the suspect and to resume normal activity.
The VCU PD said they would like to remind students, faculty, staff and guests at VCU that all threats, whether in person, over the phone, via text message, or on social media sites are taken seriously.
The VCU PD is on call 24/7 at (804) 828-1234, or community members can text VCUTIP to 274637 anonymously or download the LiveSafe mobile safety app. VCU Police detectives can be reached during business hours at (804) 828-6409.
Executive Editor, Sarah King
Sarah is a junior in the honors college studying political science and philosophy of law. Last spring, Sarah worked as an editorial intern for “CQ Researcher” and “SAGE Business Researcher” in Washington, D.C. Her independent work has been published on platforms including the Huffington Post, RVA Magazine and alongside her peers at Harvard, Brown and Columbia on knowyourix.org. Sarah’s primary nutrient is Redbull. // Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
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