Ryan ChartrandAccording to a facebook message sent to the Mustang Daily from Cal Poly computer engineering freshman Francisco Diaz’s close friend, the e-mails sent out Tuesday morning were meant to be a Halloween prank.
Diaz, who police said is now in custody for making criminal threats in an e-mail to students and faculty, wrote in a letter to his roommate electrical engineering freshman Favian Mora that his intentions were to prank the person who left the e-mail account open at the El Corral Bookstore, but that it became a “huge and scary” threat to public safety for students and faculty.
“It was an unconscious prank that became the biggest mistake of my life, which I am now repenting for causing the unthinkable panic which was not my intention,” Diaz wrote. “I hope that its (sic) not to (sic) late for your forgiveness and that it is not too late to try and leave this behind us as what it is: an immature prank because I have never done anything and will never do anything that would ever harm anybody.”
Three different sources who preferred to remain anonymous forwarded the Mustang Daily what appears to be the e-mail Diaz allegedly sent.
“soon imma bring a knife and slit all of your necks. i hate this fucking school and you will all see come next class when you least expect it will go and mess you all up,” the e-mail said. “imma start virgnia tech all over again baby you dont deserve the life that you have all been given i hope that in the after life you rot.”
Diaz, 18, allegedly sent the e-mail through another person’s e-mail account around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
University Police Department Chief Bill Watton would not confirm or deny that it was the correct e-mail, but advised the Mustang Daily to not include the e-mail address the message was sent from since “he was found to not be a player and was innocent in this case.”
Officials arrested the owner of that e-mail address Tuesday afternoon, but discovered they hadn’t found the right suspect. The owner of the account refused to comment.
Journalism senior Brandy Scoggan received the e-mail, titled “fuck you all” at around 11 a.m. Tuesday before going to campus.
“I waited around for most of the day for Cal Poly to send something out, but I went to school anyway,” Scoggan said.
The University Police Department informed all Cal Poly students and faculty about a suspicious person on campus through e-mail at 3:50 p.m. Tuesday and requested any information about his whereabouts.
“It was a really graphic e-mail and the fact that he referenced Virginia Tech told me he means business,” Scoggan said. “That’s something you don’t just throw around and joke with.”
Diaz’s friends were shocked to see that he had been arrested for sending the e-mails.
“I figured from the beginning when I heard about his apprehension that it was a harmless joke but (it) was more than that,” said Mora, who has known Diaz since high school. “He is a friendly guy who would never hurt anyone.”
Computer engineering freshman Matt Falco also knew Diaz and had spent time with him away from class.
“I wouldn’t expect him to do such a thing,” Falco said in a facebook message to the Mustang Daily. “He seemed like a respectable guy just like the rest of us. It was kinda a shock to his picture in that campus wide e-mail that was sent around.”
Diaz lives in San Jose and attended to Andrew P. Hill High School.
“At this moment I am suffering thinking about how everyone may have took to hearth (sic) my motives for ever sending the emails and for acting without knowing the consequences of my actions,” Diaz wrote. “Please try to find it in you to forget this incident.”
Scoggan, however, doesn’t believe it was a prank and is still upset about Diaz’s alleged actions.
“We’re not here to deal with vicious threats,” Scoggan said. “You can’t just turn around afterward and say ‘Oh, just kidding!'”
Police are still investigating the details and series of events of the supposed prank and will release more information soon.
“We responded very quickly and seriously to the situation to avoid anything similar to what has happened around the country,” University Police Department Chief Bill Watton said.
A Cal Poly community service officer located Diaz on Mountain Lane on campus around 4:30 p.m and was later apprehended by campus officials.
Police would not comment on where Diaz allegedly sent the e-mail from, but the security camera images released by police appear to show the suspect in El Corral Bookstore. The computers in the bookstore do have Internet access.
He was booked in the San Luis Obispo County jail on two charges of making criminal threats and unlawful access to a computer. His bail is set at $50,000.
Students and faculty are asked to contact Cal Poly University Police at 756-2281 if they received the e-mail threats.
Jessica Ford contributed to this story