Authorities have arrested the man they say was responsible for two bomb hoaxes at the Freehold AMC movie complex this week — causing evacuations each time. The 22-year-old Middletown man could spend years in jail if convicted.

Jesse Carroll, 22, of Middletown, is charged with two counts of second degree Public false alarm, according to an announcement by acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Authorities say he left a series of threatening notes, discovered Monday and then again on Friday, with specific threats. One note on Friday afternoon read: “I’m coming for blood; 4pm bomb, 6pm empty mag in guests," according to the prosecutor's office.

“Making bomb threats in a movie theater is nothing short of domestic terrorism. Thankfully for everyone involved this was a hoax. We have wasted too much time, money and resources with these dangerous and disruptive threats. We will continue to fully respond to every threat to protect our citizens, but we are also going to react with the full force of the law every time threats turn out to be hoaxes,” Gramiccioni said.

As the prosecutor's office noted in an announcement of the arrest Friday night, if convicted of public false alarm, Carroll faces a sentence of five to ten years in a New Jersey state prison for each count. The penalties would also include a fine of no less than $2,000 and up to the actual costs incurred by any first responder agencies.

“Our Office fully intends to seek full restitution for the collective costs of all the responding agencies,” Gramiccioni said in the announcement.

As of late Friday, Carroll was being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in lieu of $200,000 bail with no 10 percent option, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen.  Kilgallen also ordered he not return to the scene of the crimes and have no contact with any movie theaters, the prosecutor's office said.

The prosecutor's office said that after thorough checks Monday and Friday, authorities found "no threats to the safety of moviegoers, employees or management, and business was returned to normal."

“We take these threats seriously and I commend our partners in law enforcement for their rapid response in keeping our residents safe,” Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golde said in the announcement from the prosecutor's office. “The security of our homeland is a top priority and such false alarms and hoaxes will not be tolerated.”

Authorities say anyone with additional information about the case should contact Detective John Catrone of the Freehold Township Police Department at 732-462-7500, or Detective Patrick Petruziello of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443.

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