Man Wanted In Alleged Threat Against College Campus Surrenders
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The man accused of posting a threat against the campus of Penn State Beaver to Twitter late last week is now in the custody of police.
Fugitive Michael Mollett, 21, of Homestead, surrendered to a state police detective Sunday night without incident.
He was handcuffed and taken into custody in the lobby of the KDKA-TV studios in Downtown Pittsburgh. It was an emotional moment for his mother.
"It's hard, but it's the right decision," said Pamela Lawton, Mollett's mother. "It's the right decision."
According to state police, Mollett is facing charges of terroristic threats and harassment.
Lawton made a tearful plea to her son to turn himself in on KDKA-TV on Friday night.
Mollett, a former Penn State Beaver student and basketball player, is accused of posting the alleged threat on Twitter Thursday night referencing the Virginia Tech shooting spree.
Lawton says those televised pleas helped track him down in Bloomfield.
"It's heartbreaking, but you know what, it's for the good," said Lawton. "It's going to work out for the good. God is faithful and true."
The incident shut down the college campus on Friday and Saturday, canceling classes and several activities over the weekend. Mollett's mother says it was all a mistake.
"I apologize for my baby. It's due to his mental state," Lawton said. "Other than that, I believe that if he were in his right mind, none of this would have taken place."
Mollett was taken away by Pittsburgh police because he's wanted on an outstanding warrant in Allegheny County for receiving stolen property. His family hopes he's given psychiatric care.
"We just kept praying and telling him to comply with the officers and just do what he needed to do until we can get this resolved," added Lawton.
Mollett is being held at the Allegheny County Jail.
Earlier on Sunday, Penn State Beaver announced that classes will resume Monday beginning at 8 a.m.
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