FBI: Arrest Made In Alleged July 4 Terrorist Attack Plan In Cleveland
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
CLEVELAND (AP) - Federal authorities say they've arrested a man who talked about setting off a bomb at a Fourth of July parade in Cleveland and attacking people watching fireworks.
Officials said Monday that the man who's an American citizen often expressed his support for al-Qaeda and said he wanted to kill members of the U.S. military.
Authorities have charged Demetrius Pitts with attempted support of a terrorist organization. There are no court records listing an attorney for Pitts, who lives in the Cleveland area and was arrested Sunday.
FBI Special Agent Stephen Anthony says Pitts scouted out locations this past week for a site to attack in downtown Cleveland.
Anthony says it's not clear how close Pitts was to carrying out his threats, but he says authorities couldn't sit back and wait.
Pitts was arrested after meeting with an undercover official. During that meeting, he also talked about a separate attack in Philadelphia.
(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
