Man Charged For Threatening Little Egg Harbor School: Prosecutor

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ — A Pleasantville man faces charges after making threats against Pinelands Regional High School and two students last week, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Wednesday.

Little Egg Harbor police were notified by school officials on May 25 after a student told them about threats that had been made against the school by someone on Snapchat.

An investigation by Little Egg Harbor police found that a person with the username “Buddha Caserta” made threats against Pinelands Regional High School by posting on Snapchat via a group message that gang members were coming to shoot up the school, Billhimer said.

Police determined that Frankie Caserta, 21, posted the threats against the school and sent two Snapchat messages threatening two students with physical harm, Billhimer said.

Caserta was charged with three counts of terroristic threats in connection with threats made in Little Egg Harbor between May 23 and 25.

Little Egg Harbor and Pleasantville police arrested Caserta at his home in Pleasantville later that day for an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court in Burlington County on unrelated charges, Billhimer said. He was taken to the Burlington County Jail, where he was lodged pending a detention hearing.

Detectives executed a search warrant at Caserta’s home on May 26 and seized multiple electronic devices, Billhimer said. Charges for terroristic threats were filed against Caserta that day, though the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be forthcoming.

Caserta was released from the Burlington County Jail on Tuesday in accordance with New Jersey Bail Reform. He was then taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he will remain lodged pending a detention hearing with regard to the terroristic threats charges made in Little Egg Harbor.

Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, and Pleasantville Police Department for their combined and collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation.

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