From SJC Citizen:
St. Augustine Man Arrested For Threatening Social Media Posts Targeting County Commissioners Ann Taylor And Krista Joseph
A 44-year-old St. Augustine man was arrested this week after authorities say he posted a violent and threatening image targeting two St. Johns County Commissioners on social media, then attempted to hide evidence when confronted by investigators, court papers state.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began on May 31, 2025, when an image was posted to the Blue Sky social media account “Atheist Pizza News.”
“The image posted depicted a sword going through Commissioner Ann Taylor’s head and an axe going through
Commissioner Krista Joseph’s head, with the wording, “Totally torched by the pro komando mob, totally epic
defeat,” a criminal complaint reads.
The “komando” reference refers to St. Johns County Attorney Rich Komando, who was voted in to the post over Joseph and Taylor’s objections in March.
The post, the sheriff’s office said, “makes a threat to commit bodily harm to another person, both of whom are public servants.”
Through subpoenas and digital tracking, investigators linked the post to a phone number associated with Nathan James Keyes, a St. Augustine resident.
Deputies made contact with Keyes at his residence on October 9.
During the encounter, he denied making the post but admitted to recognizing the commissioners and said he would “never hurt anyone.”
When investigators called the phone number associated with the post, the device in Keyes’ possession rang, confirming it was connected to the account that posted the threat, the complaint states.
After obtaining a residential search warrant, deputies returned to collect the phone. As officers approached, Keyes briefly fled to his backyard, then re-entered the home.
A subsequent search revealed the phone hidden under a piece of wood outside—an attempt, deputies say, to prevent its seizure.
Keyes was arrested and charged with corruption by threat against a public servant, and tampering with physical evidence, both felonies.
He is listed as unemployed in court papers.
The Citizen will update this story shortly.
No comments:
Post a Comment