Bantola To Be Arraigned Wednesday

The Antioch man charged with suspicion of sending threatening emails, faxes and letters to various schools, including several in Martinez last month, will be arraigned tomorrow.

36-year-old Larry Bantola of Antioch will face 14 felony counts tomorrow (Wednesday) – seven counts of making criminal threats and seven counts of impersonating another.

Bantola was arrested at his home on the 4400 block of Buckeye Way in Antioch on the morning of Oct. 28 by police from Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Concord and Antioch. He was arrested on suspicion of impersonating a former friend and sending threatening emails, faxes and letters to schools in Martinez, Concord and Pleasant Hill. The letters caused at least one Martinez school – St. Catherine’s – to shut down for two days. Other schools, including Alhambra High and John Swett Elementary, were on high alert and had increased police presence.

Bantola is currently in the county jail in Martinez, on $350,000 bail.