PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A 12-year-old girl is accused of creating bogus Instagram and email accounts to “maliciously” threaten peers and staff at her school, according to police.
Part of the pre-teen’s method of operation was to also send threats to herself as well as others at the Renaissance Charter School while she “intentionally lied to law enforcement” to frame a 13-year-old girl, Pembroke Pines Police Department said in a news release sent Thursday.
The older girl was initially arrested and charged with a felony after the Nov. 19 threats at the South Florida school, but has since been exonerated of all charges, police said, according to FOX 13.
Pembroke police provided the following overview:
Following an extensive and thorough investigation by our department, the original student arrested in this case (a 13-year-old female, Victim #1) was exonerated of these charges.
At the time of our initial investigation in November 2021, the family of the victim chose to exercise their rights and did not cooperate with investigators. Due to the exigent nature of the school threats and in accordance with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act, it was determined that probable cause existed to arrest Victim #1 due to available evidence as well as multiple witness statements. The decision to arrest the student was made in consultation with the Broward State Attorney’s Office.
On December 21, 2021, the mother of Victim #1 began cooperating with our officers’ continued investigation and provided specific information which caused investigators to apply for a subpoena for the I.P. addresses associated with the threatening messages. It was not until January 18, 2022, that our agency first obtained new evidence from the subpoena that did not support the claims of the initial victim in this case (Suspect #1). The Broward State Attorney’s Office was immediately notified of these new facts and five additional subpoenas along with two search warrants were presented. The additional information obtained led to the exoneration of the student first arrested (Victim #1) and implicated one of the alleged victims (Suspect #1).
A 12-year-old female student who also attended Renaissance Charter School was found to have maliciously impersonated Victim #1 by using her information to create an email address and open multiple Instagram accounts. Suspect #1 then sent herself and other students multiple threatening messages, and intentionally lied to law enforcement and school staff to frame Victim #1.
Suspect #1 is charged with Written Threats to Kill or do Bodily Harm (FSS 836.10), Falsifying a Police Report (FSS 837.05), Penalty for Disruption of an Educational Institution (FSS 877.13), and Criminal Use of Personal Information (FSS 817.568). Victim #2 (State of Florida) surfaced based upon the falsification of a police report.
Unfortunately, only a partial representation of this case was reported by some of our news media partners. Much of the information related to this investigation is available within the police report. In addition, extensive body worn camera footage of pertinent actions taken in this case is also available via a public records request.
Capt. Adam Feiner said it is “inappropriate” to say the 13-year-old was wrongfully arrested, because investigators and prosecutors took action based on “all the available information known at the time.”
Once they had more information, investigators took “immediate and swift action,” charging the younger girl with the appropriate crimes, police said.
