Police: WhatsApp posts get Florida International University student arrested

Florida International University police officers arrested Gabriela Saldana on Thursday on campus in Miami-Dade County's University Park area.

A 23-year-old Florida International University student’s recent messages on a WhatsApp group resulted in a criminal case, according to police.

Gabriela Saldana was at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Thursday after corrections booked her on Wednesday afternoon.

Saldana “made a threat to kill or do bodily harm” in her posts on Friday and Wednesday about “a scheduled event” in a WhatsApp group chat, according to a police officer’s arrest report.

Saldana “admitted to sending and transmitting the messages,” and FIU campus police officers arrested her shortly after 2:10 a.m. on Thursday on campus at 885 SW 109 Ave., records show.

Police officers did not include the specific threats in their report about the alleged crime.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Saldana shortly after 4:15 a.m. on Thursday. She faced a charge of written threats to kill or do bodily injury.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

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About The Author
Andrea Torres

Andrea Torres

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.