By-Line: Joseph Bober, FCSO
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two students at Flagler Palm Coast High School for sending threats toward each other in a text group chat.
On January 23, a student, L.B., sent a photo of Mariana Alves, 17, in a group chat to other students. In the group chat, Jakari Hughes, 18, replied that he was “going to beat the shit out of her.” Alves, who was with L.B. and believed Hughes’s threat to be a joke, used L.B.’s phone and replied, “I sent a bomb to your house and it’s going to fucking explode in 13 seconds you sons of bitches.” Hughes then replied with more threats, including that he would “beat her after graduation so it’s not a school incident” and that “They are not finding the body.” At the time, Alves did not see the subsequent threats.
The next day, Hughes pushed Alves as they were walking in the hallway following a pep rally.
A few days later, on January 28, Alves was speaking with L.B. and another student who had a similar incident with Hughes. During this conversation, L.B. showed Alves the subsequent threats that Hughes had sent. Alves then reported the incident to school officials, who then contacted the school’s two school resource deputies.
Deputy First Class Nicholas Champion and Deputy Christopher Alecrim interviewed Alves, Hughes, and L.B. and reviewed the text messages sent in the group chat. After their investigation, deputies determined that Alves and Hughes had made threats of violence during the incident in violation of Florida law.
Alves was arrested for a Written or Electronic Threat to Conduct a Mass Shooting or Terrorism Act due to her text in which she stated she sent a bomb to a residence. Hughes was arrested for Written or Electronic Threats to Kill or Do Bodily Harm due to his texts in which he stated he would physically harm Alves. Both were transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. Alves was turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, while Hughes was later released on a $1,000 bond.
Mariana Alves (Flagler County Jail Mugshot) Jakari Hughes (Flagler County Jail Mugshot)
“Even if kids think threats are a joke, Florida law and the Sheriff’s Office do not treat them as jokes,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Make sure they understand the consequences of breaking the law. Teach your children how to resolve disagreements without resorting to threats or violence. Be the Sheriff in your home or we will be.”
“We take the safety of our students very seriously,” said Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore. “Please remind your children that comments threatening violence or harm are never taken lightly. Students must be aware that threats are not ‘jokes.’”
