‘I could blow up the base if I wanted to’ threat leads to Indiana man’s arrest in Key West, cops say

KEY WEST, Fla. — An Indiana man is facing a felony charge in South Florida after police said he threatened to “blow up” the Trumbo Point Navy Base in Key West on Thursday.

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Key West police said Jonathon David Mathews, 41, of Indianapolis, made the threat after being denied entry into the base at around 6:30 p.m.

While exiting, he told a guard, “I have C-4 and I could blow up the base if I wanted to,” police said. C-4 is a type of explosive.

Authorities said the Navy relayed the threat to Key West police, who saw his vehicle about 30 minutes later at a shopping center and pulled him over soon after.

“Mathews’ vehicle and hotel room were searched. Officers located a dive knife; no explosives or additional weapons were found,” a news release from the Key West Police Department states. “Mathews acknowledged making the statement about C4 and explosives and indicated he was testing base security’s response to threats.”

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Authorities said he was arrested on one count of threatening to discharge a destructive device.

In its release, KWPD issued a warning “that threats made against military installations, whether serious or not, will be treated as credible and will result in a full law enforcement response.”

Florida Keys jail records don’t list a bond for Mathews as of Friday afternoon. He’s set to be arraigned on Sept. 4.

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