“What he did was ‘una boberia’ (a nonsense), a joke. I told him, what he did was bullshit, nonsense, and that’s the only way to describe what that boy did,” were the words of the abuela (grandmother) describing the threat her grandson made against the Ariana Grande concert in Alajuela last Sunday.
The woman asked that her identity be kept confidential for fear of reprisals.
The young man, a 22-year-old Colombian national identified by his last name Caceido Lopez, was arrested Sunday morning, July 9, at his home in Tibas, San Jose, for committing the crime of aggravated threats and public intimidation.
However, hours later he was release on conditions that he sign in at the Fiscalia (Prosecutor’s office) once a month, maintain a fixed address and cannot leave the country.
Authorities acted quickly following the threat that was written in Arabic and posted online using a social media account. The threat came on the heels of a May 22 bombing at a Grande performance in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people and injured dozens more.
“If you see him, he is a very shy person, he does not drink or smoke, he does not go to parties, he does not go to concerts, he is very homely, he is a good boy, very calm. I don’t know what happened to him, but it was a joke, even innocent, of a person who is very calm,” said the woman, who was at home when police raided their home.
The Minister of Security, Gustavo Mata, said that his institution will define whether or not to expel the foreigner. The Minister said if the case proceeds, it will be necessary to wait for the trial before determining whether or not he will be expelled.
According to Mata, article 186 of the Ley de Migración y Extranjería (Immigration Law), “a person who enjoys legal status must leave the country when his activities compromise peace, public safety, tranquility or public order.”
