Corrales Court One of Many to Receive Hoax Bomb Threat

Published January 26th, 2024 at 9:00 am, Last Updated January 26th, 2024 at 9:37 am

Terrorist threats can happen everywhere. Even the Village of Corrales.

The Corrales Municipal Court had to be cleared and inspected after receiving a bomb threat on Jan. 4. It was one of hundreds of government buildings in the United States to receive hoax bomb threats via email in early January. 

A day after similar threats were made to state capitols, courts appeared to be the main target of the threat received in Corrales and elsewhere. A copy of the email sent to the Corrales Court indicates it was part of a mass mailing that went to the Department of Justice, New Mexico Supreme Court, and judiciary offices all over the country.

National media reports say that the same message was also sent to synagogues and hospitals.

“I placed explosives inside your Court, but also inside of every Court within your State,” it read. “The explosives are well hidden and they will go off in a few hours. I’m hoping you will end up dead, that’s all I want.”

The message was signed by a supposed terrorist group of unknown origin. International media reports say that the same moniker was used in threatening messages of a similar nature sent to museums and other landmarks in India about the same time.

Court Administrator Christina Thomas contacted Corrales Police after reading the email shortly before 9 that morning. Though she confirmed the building had been locked overnight and police found no sign of forced entry, Police Chief Victor Mangiacarpa and two officers conducted a search of the building just in case. 

Though nothing was found, the chief contacted the Sandoval County Regional Emergency Communications Center to alert State Police and Bomb Squad to the threat prior to the search. 

After the building was deemed safe, Corrales Police reported the incident to federal authorities.