Palm Bay Police: Bomb Threat Suspect Arrested in Georgia After Detectives Identify Perp

Anthony Pettrone, 32, charged with False Report Concerning Planting a Bomb, Threats to Law Enforcement Officers

BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Anthony Pettrone, 32, has been arrested in connection with a series of threatening and violent phone calls made to law enforcement over the past several weeks.

Pettrone has been charged with False Report Concerning Planting a Bomb, a second-degree felony, and Threats to Law Enforcement Officers, a first-degree misdemeanor.

A Palm Bay police spokesperson said Pettrone was arrested in Cobb County, Georgia, on June 20.

The incident began on May 26 at approximately 2:55 p.m., when the Palm Bay Police Department received a call from a man later identified as Pettrone, stating he had put a bomb in City Hall and if all cops weren’t cleared out, they would die.

Later that same evening at 7:22 p.m., another call was received stating that there was a murder on a street in Palm Bay.

A Palm Bay police spokesperson said an additional call was received by Palm Bay Police’s Communications Division threatening to kill a Palm Bay officer. Then, on June 14, another call was received warning the Palm Bay Police Department that cops would be shot and would die in their houses or on the streets while on duty.

“The investigation revealed that the same male voice was used in all the threats,” said a Palm Bay police spokesperson. “Through excellent work and investigative means, detectives were able to positively identify the voice and phone number as belonging to Anthony Pettrone.”

Palm Bay Police Chief Mario Augello said the Palm Bay Police Department will not tolerate any threat to officers, facilities, or the community.

“These threats and deliberate actions attempted to disrupt public safety and will not be tolerated,” said Chief Augello.

“Any threat to harm our officers or our community will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. I want to commend our officers and detectives for their dedication and thorough investigation that led to the identification of the suspect and his arrest. We take the safety of our personnel and our residents seriously and will ensure those who target law enforcement are held accountable.”

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