According to a Facebook message sent to the Mustang Daily from Cal Poly computer engineering freshman Francisco Diaz’s roommate, the e-mails sent out Tuesday morning were meant to be a Halloween prank.
Diaz, who police said is now in custody for making criminal threats in an e-mail to students and faculty, wrote in a letter to his roommate electrical engineering freshman Favian Mora that his intentions were to prank the person who left the e-mail account open at the El Corral Bookstore, but that it became a “huge and scary” threat to public safety for students and faculty.
“It was an unconscious prank that became the biggest mistake of my life, which I am now repenting for causing the unthinkable panic which was not my intention,” Diaz wrote. “I hope that its (sic) not to (sic) late for your forgiveness and that it is not too late to try and leave this behind us as what it is: an immature prank because I have never done anything and will never do anything that would ever harm anybody.”
Two different sources who preferred to remain anonymous forwarded the Mustang Daily what appears to be the e-mail Diaz allegedly sent.
“soon imma bring a knife and slit all of your necks. i hate this fucking school and you will all see come next class when you least expect it will go and mess you all up,” the e-mail said. “imma start virgnia tech all over again baby you dont deserve the life that you have all been given i hope that in the after life you rot.”
Diaz, 18, allegedly sent the e-mail through another person’s e-mail account around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Officials arrested the owner of that e-mail address Tuesday afternoon, but discovered they hadn’t found the right suspect. The owner of the account refused to comment.
Diaz’s friends were shocked to see that he had been arrested for sending the e-mails.
“I figured from the beginning when I heard about his apprehension that it was a harmless joke but (it) was more than that,” said Mora, who has known Diaz since high school. “He is a friendly guy who would never hurt anyone.” ….