Two Texas teenagers face criminal charges for attempting a social media-inspired prank that police say crossed the line into criminal behavior.
Kaine Villarreal, 19, and Lane Burch, 18, face charges of making a terroristic threat, Kyle Police stated. The two teenagers began following a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old at about 3:20 p.m. on Jan. 29 as they walked home from Negley Elementary, according to police.
Eventually, Villarreal and Burch approached the children and asked if they wanted to be kidnapped, police stated. The children immediately notified their parents, who called the police.
The arrest of Villarreal and Burch follows the arrest of another social media influencer in Mesa, Arizona. In that case, Charles Smith entered a grocery store on Dec. 21, took pesticide off a shelf, and began spraying items, including vegetables, fruit, and rotisserie chickens, Mesa Police stated.
Smith, 27-year-old faces two felony charges, including one count of burglary in the third degree, and two counts of adding poison or other harmful substance to water, food, drink, or medicine, eonline reported. Other charges include endangerment and criminal damage to property. The food that was contaminated was valued at $900 and had to be thrown out.
