STUDENT ARRESTED AFTER CREATING A FALSE NARRATIVE ABOUT A SCHOOL THREAT

Sheriff Ken Mascara announced today the arrest of 18-year-old James Patrick Frehely Barber, of Port St. Lucie, shortly after 12:00 p.m. this afternoon, for making a false report about a school threat against Treasure Coast High School.

“School officials notified School Resource Deputies early Monday morning about a threat circulating on social media,” said Sheriff Ken Mascara. “We immediately placed additional deputies on campus out of an abundance of caution.”

According to Sheriff Ken Mascara, School Resource Deputies worked alongside the Port St. Lucie Police Department, District School Safety Officers, and school administrators to investigate this incident and quickly identify the source of the narrative.

“Barber faces a second-degree felony after crafting a false narrative about a school threat and then sharing that narrative online,” said Sheriff Ken Mascara. “The penalties for a second-degree felony are punishable by up to 15 years in prison, 15 years of probation and a $10,000 fine. We take every school threat seriously, so it is imperative that parents talk to their children about the dangers of written and verbal threats in school settings as well as the consequences.”

Barber was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail on a $10,000 bond.