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University Police make arrest in Cal Poly death threat case

Flickr member youngthousands

A Cal Poly student is facing felony death threats and hate crime charges in connection with statements made to a member of a student group earlier this week.

University Police took 20-year-old Charles Raymond Bird into custody around noon Friday, after several days of investigation. He was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail .

The University said he made the threats against Matt Klepfer, a member of SLO Solidarity, a group working to promote better diversity policy on campus.

Klepfer had sent a list of demands to the university on behalf of the group early in the week. The threats were made online soon after in response to those demands.

“The threat was made via social media, and the sender had gone to great lengths to disguise his identity,” said University Police Commander Brenda Trobaugh in a statement. “This made for a very complex investigation that required our offices to obtain multiple search warrants in order to gather evidence from several places.”

Thursday, an estimated 800 people took place in a march aimed at raising awareness over diversity issues on campus.

"This arrest further reiterates that there is no place for hate at Cal Poly,” said President Jeffery Armstrong said in a statement. Armstrong addressed and marched with the crowds on Thursday.