- June 29, 2024
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Another Internet user who posted an online death threat against Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has been arrested, this time in Connecticut, where he’s in custody pending extradition to Volusia County.
Cristhian Zapata, 23, posted to 4Chan on April 7: “I will kill Chitwood, mark my words,” a post that was flagged by the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange for further investigation.
The investigation traced the origin of the post to a home in Ansonia, Connecticut. Zapata’s sister told Ansonia police detectives her brother was always on his computer, often participating in extremist chat rooms and “talking to unknown people about conspiracy theories and white supremacist ideology,” according to the police report. The sister also indicated her brother was fascinated with Adolf Hitler.
When police spoke with Zapata, who had moved to Shelton, Connecticut, he admitted to posting the threat and indicated he’d heard about recent events in Florida, including other online threats to kill the sheriff, and said he was surprised that others had been arrested, because he believes in the First Amendment. He identified himself as a nationalist.
Zapata, arrested by the Shelton Police Department, is the third person arrested for making death threats against Chitwood on 4Chan. His bond will be $10,000.
