FBI, Adams Township police arrest juvenile on terrorism, threat charges

VALENCIA, Pa. — Early Friday morning, agents from the FBI Pittsburgh office and Adams Township police officers arrested a minor who was released to juvenile probation on state charges of terrorism, threats to use a weapon of mass destruction and terrorist threats.

The arrest was made on a quiet street tucked into the borough of Valencia.

“I kind of looked around. There were cop cars on this side of the street and in the front of the house, there were four or five down that side, and I was like, ‘What is going on?’” said Lori Jordan, who lives nearby.

Jordan saw blue lights filling her neighborhood and was concerned as she saw her teenage neighbor being taken into FBI custody.

“At 6 o’clock this morning, in coordination with the FBI in Pittsburgh, we served a search warrant on a residence where we took into custody a juvenile,” said Robert Scanlon, assistant chief of Adams Township police.

The details on this case aren’t clear, but police told us the teen was making online threats that were not related to last week’s hoax-swatting calls.

“I have a son almost his age and it’s terrifying. You hear schools getting locked down. You hear school shootings and you don’t want that in your neighborhood. You don’t want that for your kids,” Jordan said.

The teen is heading to a juvenile detention center in Ohio and facing charges that include terrorism, terroristic threats and threats to use a weapon of mass destruction.

“With the world we live in today, I don’t know them very. Well, like I know them to say hello and wave when we ride by, but you never know who you are living next to or what’s going on. You just don’t know,” Jordan said.

This is still an active investigation by Adams Township police and the FBI.

“These types of threats will always be taken very seriously, and all of our agencies will continue to work together to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately,” Scanlon said in a news release.

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