Scotrun Couple Arrested and Charged in the Monroe County Courthouse Bomb Threat Case
Jesus Castrodad, 49, and his girlfriend, Colleen Kasdaglis, 32, both of Scotrun, were arrested this morning and charged with making multiple bomb threats targeting the Monroe County courthouse between July 9, 2018, and today, November 6, 2018.
Today's arrests mark the culmination of months of investigation involving detectives from the Monroe County Office of the District Attorney, detectives from the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, and Troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police, as well as assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service.
In total, Castrodad and Kasdaglis are responsible for seven (7) such bomb threats, each made by calling 911 and claiming that there were bombs in the Monroe County courthouse and surrounding buildings. Each bomb threat caused the courthouse and neighboring facilities to be evacuated, interrupted daily court and county business, and cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in lost productivity and emergency response costs.
A thorough search conducted after each threat failed to turn up any explosive devices.
Earlier today, two (2) detectives from the Stroud Area Regional Police Department assigned to this investigation were in the area of Tobyhanna State Park, where several of the recent bomb threats originated. While in the park, at 8:49 a.m., the detectives were notified that yet another bomb threat had been received and the call had been placed from the beach in the park.
Just prior to being made aware of the bomb threat, those same detectives observed a vehicle, described as a white Dodge Caravan with tinted windows, a ladder rack, and Pennsylvania registration, exit the beach parking lot and drive south on Route 423.
The detectives put out an alert to all other law enforcement agencies in the area requesting assistance in locating that vehicle.
At 9:02 a.m., Troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police spotted the van on Route 940 near Lowe's in Mount Pocono. After stopping the van, Troopers discovered Castrodad and Kasdaglis inside.
The Stroud Area Regional Police Department detectives confirmed that the van was the same one they had observed near the beach in Tobyhanna State Park.
Castrodad and Kasdaglis eventually admitted to being responsible for the bomb threats on July 9, September 10, October 1, October 2, November 2, November 5, and November 6.
The investigation into the bomb threats from May 7 and June 11 is on-going.
Both Castrodad and Kasdaglis were charged with threats to use weapons of mass destruction, terroristic threats, false alarms to public safety, and related charges. Both were arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Kristina Anzini of Stroudsburg and incarcerated on $1 million bail each.
Their preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Monday, November 19, 2018, at 11:15 a.m., also before Magisterial District Judge Kristina Anzini
.
