A Florida suspect is accused of making a fake bomb threat and telling authorities he was inspired by a TikTok trend.
Coty J. Clements, 28, of Northport, was charged with falsely reporting that he planted a bomb or weapon of mass destruction, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Violation is a serious crime.
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that deputies responded to a bomb threat at a Walmart store in Port Charlotte on January 12th.
“The caller reported there was a bomb inside the Neighborhood Walmart and then hung up,” the sheriff's office said. “When dispatch attempted to call back, the suspect picked up the phone, said, 'tik tok, tik tok,' and then hung up again.”
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Coty J. Clements, 28, was charged with a felony count of falsely reporting that he planted a bomb or weapon of mass destruction. (Charlotte County Sheriff's Office)
When authorities contacted the owner of the phone, he said he left it in a Walmart bathroom.
“He also stated that he could confirm via his Bluetooth watch that 911 was attempting to call him,” the sheriff's office said. “He was then able to communicate the location of the cell phone to the stall where he had left it.”
Authorities later reviewed surveillance footage and identified Clements.
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Coty J. Clements is accused of fabricating a bomb threat at the Port Charlotte Walmart. (Google Maps)
“Mr. Clements was the only person seen going in and out of the restroom during the time the call was made, so he was detained and questioned,” police said. “During that interview, Clements provided a full confession and stated that he had seen people making similar calls on the 'Tik Tok' app.”
“Intimidation of any kind will not be tolerated in Charlotte County, and I believe we learned that lesson quickly with this individual,” Sheriff Bill Plummell said in a statement.
“Fortunately, there was no actual threat to the public, but I would like to commend our dispatchers and deputies for their quick response in securing the scene and searching for this suspect.” he added.
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The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office is actively investigating a fake bomb threat. (Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, via Facebook)
Clements was released on $15,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court in February, authorities said.
