A Florida suspect is accused of making a fake bomb threat and then telling authorities that he was inspired by a TikTok trend.
North Port resident Coty J. Clements, 28, was charged with making a false report about planting a bomb or weapon of mass destruction, according FOX 35 Orlando. The offense is a felony.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that its deputies responded to a bomb threat at a Walmart location in Port Charlotte on January 12.
"The caller advised dispatch that there was a bomb inside the Neighborhood Walmart and then hung up the phone," the sheriff's office explained. "When dispatch attempted to call back, the suspect picked up the phone and stated, ‘Tic Toc, Tic Toc’ and hung up again."
When authorities made contact with the owner of the phone, he told them that he left his phone in the Walmart's restroom.
"He also stated that he was able to see via his Bluetooth watch that 911 was attempting to call him," the sheriff's office said. "He was then able to ping the location of his phone to the stall in which he had left it."
Authorities then reviewed surveillance footage and identified Clements as the suspect.
"Being that Clements was the only one seen entering and exiting the restroom during the time the call was made, he was detained and questioned," police explained. "During that interview, Clements provided a full confession, noting that he saw people make similar calls on the ‘Tik Tok’ app."
"Threats of any kind will not be tolerated in Charlotte County, and for this individual, I believe he learned that lesson promptly," Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement.
"Thankfully there was no actual threat to the public, but I want to commend the quick responses of my dispatchers as well as the deputies in ensuring the safety of the scene and in locating this suspect," he added.
Clements was released on $15,000 bond and is due to make a court appearance in February, authorities said.
