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A New York man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill the mayor of Yonkers and city police officers during a St. Patrick’s Day parade, prosecutors said.
Ridon Kola32, is accused of posting threatening messages on social media saying he would ‘slaughter’ and ‘crucify’ members of the Yonkers Police Department ‘all along’ McLean Avenue, which is the along the city’s parade route.
He was taken into custody Friday, a day before the parade, on charges of threatening interstate communications, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Kola reportedly started posting the posts in 2021, according to a criminal complaint. In a November 19, 2021 message, he allegedly wrote a threat in Albanian which was translated as: “I will slaughter you little girls,” the complaint states.
The following month he reportedly wrote that he was going to kill officers and Mayor Mike Spano.
Investigators spoke with Kola in December 2021 at his home. The complaint says he admitted to writing the messages but said they were not serious and he did not intend to harm officers or the mayor. Police searched his home but found no weapons.
Due to the threats, the police department warned officers “to exercise due diligence and caution” when interacting with Kola.
Earlier this month, Kola reportedly started sending threatening messages again, writing on March 6 that he was looking for an officer and would “burn the world down” until he found him, according to the complaint.
In a March 9 message, Kola allegedly threatened to “crucify” police and their bosses “all along McLean Avenue,” the complaint says. “It will be a horror scene,” he reportedly said.
Prosecutors said Kola lived in an area near where the parade ends and also posted a photo of himself holding an axe.
US Attorney Damian Williams said Kola’s actions would not be tolerated.
“Threats of violence against the police or harm to public safety will not be tolerated, as Kola is now charged and faces jail time for his threats against our law enforcement partners charged with protecting us.” , he said in a statement.
If convicted, Kola faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
