BUCYRUS — Dennis Heefner, 18, faces fifth-degree felony charges after making “terroristic threats” to Galion Schools on Thursday, authorities said.
The Galion Police Department transported Heefner from Loveland, a Cincinnati suburb, to the Crawford County Jail Thursday, where he remains. After his arraignment Friday, the municipal court set a preliminary hearing for Friday, March 11, Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall said.
Heefner’s mother, Monique Collette Heefner, said her son shouldn’t be in jail.
“I think he made a mistake. But were there other people involved?” she asked. She said others were involved, but her son was the only one arrested.
She refused to comment on who else she suspects was involved in the threat.
“I don’t want to say anymore. When he gets out of jail, he can talk more if he wants to clear his name, that’s up to him,” she said. “His name has been dragged through the mud enough as it is.”
On Thursday at 7:32 a.m. Galion Schools received a social media threat — “bout to shoot up Galion Schools.” Authorities say they attributed the threat to Heefener and located him in Loveland.
The incident came nearly four months after a slew of bomb threats made to Mansfield area schools.
Despite social media posts pleading for the 18-year-old’s freedom from jail due to the threat being a joke, Crall said these kinds of threats are to be handled seriously.
“We can never assume this sort of thing is a joke before it happens. We have to investigate these things very seriously because it poses a risk to our children,” he said. “We see this happening all across our country with kids bringing in firearms to school. So we’re going to take this very seriously.”
The maximum penalty for a fifth-degree felony is a year in prison, Crall said. Since the individual will be tried as an adult, this sentence is possible.
“But he’s also a first-time offender. I’ve never had a first-time offender with this offense. He could get less time,” Crall said. “He might not even be eligible for prison time.”
However, Crall said due to the nature of this incident, he hopes to send a message to youth “who might be inclined to say something foolish like that in the future.”
A 15-year-old juvenile was recently sentenced by Richland County Juvenile Court Judge Ron Spon to 90 days in suspended detention and community control including extensive probation and random drug testing until the age of 21. That juvenile was also expelled from the school and ordered to write an apology note addressed to the Madison High School principal and the student body.
“It’s possible the charge (inducing panic) will be referred to the grand jury,” Crall said of the Galion case.
