YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A 12-year-old boy is facing possible charges after the Yuma Police Department (YPD) said he sent threatening text messages to a group chat for a local youth soccer team.
According to YPD, officers were notified Monday afternoon after messages suggested a possible incident planned at the Ray Kroc Athletic Complex.
As a precaution, parents canceled the soccer practice scheduled for that night. Police also patrolled the park and conducted security check in the area to ensure public safety.
Investigators later determined that the boy had been mistakenly added to the soccer team’s group chat and has no connection to the team.
YPD said the boy admitted to sending the messages and told officers he intended them as a joke, and said the case will be forwarded to the Yuma County Juvenile Justice Center for review.
Clifton Bogie, a Yuma local, routinely walks the nearby fields says it’s sad to hear these threats being made.
“Well, I’m glad that nothing serious happened, but it’s pretty ridiculous that these kids nowadays make these threats, which is unsubstantiated,” Bogie says.