By-Line: Joseph Bober, Public Information Officer, FCSO
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 12-year-old boy for making threats to stab another boy during an argument in a group chat.
On Sept. 25, deputies responded to a report from a concerned parent who stated their son received a text from another child containing a threat that he was going to stab him. Deputies interviewed the victim, who said he was in a group chat with the boy, Nicholas Grillo, and was arguing with him when Grillo sent a photograph of a box of knives, followed by multiple threats.
Deputies reviewed the messages, which included a photo of a box containing 15 knives and a brass knuckle, along with a text stating, “I’ll stab your b—- a– wit all this illegal s—.”
Deputies then interviewed Grillo and his parents at his residence. Grillo confirmed that he sent the messages and stated he did so because he was angry. With consent from Grillo’s parents, deputies searched Grillo’s room, where they found the box of knives observed in the photo.
“This is an unfortunate situation where we had to arrest a child, but we take threats like this very seriously,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “It is important for parents to be aware of what their children are saying to each other on social media and monitor their activity. I also urge parents to be the Sheriff in your home and make sure that children know the consequences of threatening someone. It may not seem like a big deal to them, but they need to know that it is a felony crime under Florida law and can have serious consequences. It doesn’t matter how old they are or that they tell us they were joking when we knock on your door because it’s no joking matter. They will get arrested. Parents, also teach your children how to handle disputes, as that education will last them a lifetime.”
Deputies arrested Grillo for written or electronic threats to kill or commit bodily harm. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. After being processed, he was then turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and transported to the Volusia Family Resource Center.
Photo 1: The text exchange between Nicholas Grillo and the victim.
Photo 2: The box of knives recovered by deputies at Grillo’s residence.
