The teen, who had attended a friend's court hearing, allegedly cocked her thumb and forefinger in the shape of a gun, pointed it at the assistant prosecutor as she stepped onto an elevator, and said, "Next time," the sheriff's office said
TRENTON - A 16-year-old girl who allegedly made a threatening hand motion in the direction of an assistant prosecutor inside the county courthouse on Monday was arrested Thursday afternoon, the Mercer County Sheriff's Office said today.
The teen, who had attended a friend's court hearing, allegedly cocked her thumb and forefinger in the shape of a gun, pointed it at the assistant prosecutor as she stepped onto an elevator, and said, "Next time," the sheriff's office said.
Using video surveillance, investigators identified the teen and tracked her down on Perry Street in Trenton. The investigators arrested her and issued charges of terroristic threats.
"The Mercer County Sheriff's Office has a zero tolerance for threats of violence, of any kind against individuals,” Sheriff Jack Kemler said in a statement. “The general public and those who work in this area can be assured we operate in a threat-free zone."
The alleged threat happened inside the main lobby of the Mercer County criminal courthouse on Monday, The teen had been in the public gallery at her friend's "homicide-related" hearing immediately before she encountered the assistant prosecutor. The sheriff's office did not say whether the assistant prosecutor was involved in the friend's case.
Detective Paul Toth investigated under supervision of Lieutenant Scott Schoellkopf.
The 16-year-old girl is being held in the Middlesex County Youth Detention Center in North Brunswick.
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