Riviera Beach security guard arrested for bomb threat during Guardian Academy training session
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.
A Riviera Beach man was arrested on allegations of making a threat.
Frank J. Ladzinski, 37, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with false report of bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction and threatening to discharge a destructive device.
During training on Tuesday at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office located on the 4200 block of Cherry Road, the sheriff’s office Hazardous Device Unit, also known as a bomb squad, was at the facility.
A witness who was part of the Guardian Academy, which trains school security guards to protect students, had a final evaluation for active aggressive deadly behavior.
During an evaluation on Monday, the witness said three security guards failed with one of them being Ladzinski.
Ladzinski was asked to return to the facility on Tuesday to try the evaluation again.
Before the re-evaluation began on Tuesday, a witness said Ladzinski interjected into a group’s conversation and said he was going to shoot the red shirts, who are the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office trainers, and knew where to set the chargers.
The witness said placing the chargers meant placing a bomb.
According to the witness, the group looked at Ladzinski, then Ladzinski walked away. The witness said other members of the group felt uncomfortable and debated if they needed to inform a trainer about Ladzinski’s comments.
While the group was in a classroom, the witness said Ladzinski walked over and placed a large beige Army-style bag next to someone in the group and told him to watch his bag and not let anyone look inside.
The witness said the group became uncomfortable again because of his previous comments about a bomb.
The witness said he met with a trainer and reported what occurred with Ladzinski.
The witness told the detective that students were told not to bring property or bags into the building because they were going to be running sims training, but Ladzinski entered the building with a bag.
When the witness and another trainee told Ladzinski that he was not allowed to have a bag with him inside, the witness said Ladzinski stated, “Well, it’s not a bomb… well, maybe,” and walked away to complete a task.
A few minutes later, deputies were outside the building.
When deputies arrived, the witness said Ladzinski questioned if the deputies were searching cars and he only had a loaded gun in his car.
A second witness confirmed with the detective what the first witness said occurred with Ladzinski.
The second witness added that Ladzinski felt the PBSO trainers were going to retaliate against him after his boss contacted the sheriff’s office about his failed test and asked to give Ladzinski another chance at the evaluation.
On the day of the re-evaluation, the second witness asked Ladzinski why he had the bag inside the classroom, Ladzinski stated that he may or may not have a bomb.
A third witness said when the group was together before the start of the re-evaluation, Ladzinski made the comment about targeting the trainers and that he would set off the chargers, or bomb, first.
The detective then spoke with a deputy who interviewed Ladzinski, who told the deputy said Ladzinski said he told one of the individuals that he had a bomb.
When asked by the deputy while he would say that Ladzinski stated he, “just said it randomly and he should not have said it.”
The deputy added Ladzinski acknowledged that the statement would instill fear in others and understood why his comments were reported.
Ladzinski repeated to the detective what he told the deputy and added that he was an Army veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and had not taken medication in a long time.
Ladzinski said he used the medication when he had episodes of PTSD but had not had an episode in a while.
During a court hearing on Wednesday, April 1, a judge ordered Ladzinski not to have contact with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office or the witnesses, surrender his firearms and ammunition and be fitted with a GPS monitor device as part of his house arrest.
He is in custody on $25,000 bail.
