KEY WEST, Fla. — An Indiana man is facing a felony charge in South Florida after police said he threatened to “blow up” the Trumbo Point Navy Base in Key West on Thursday.

Key West police said Jonathon David Mathews, 41, of Indianapolis, made the threat after being denied entry into the base at around 6:30 p.m.

While exiting, he told a guard, “I have C-4 and I could blow up the base if I wanted to,” police said. C-4 is a type of explosive.

Authorities said the Navy relayed the threat to Key West police, who saw his vehicle about 30 minutes later at a shopping center and pulled him over soon after.

“Mathews’ vehicle and hotel room were searched. Officers located a dive knife; no explosives or additional weapons were found,” a news release from the Key West Police Department states. “Mathews acknowledged making the statement about C4 and explosives and indicated he was testing base security’s response to threats.”

Authorities said he was arrested on one count of threatening to discharge a destructive device.

In its release, KWPD issued a warning “that threats made against military installations, whether serious or not, will be treated as credible and will result in a full law enforcement response.”

Florida Keys jail records don’t list a bond for Mathews as of Friday afternoon. He’s set to be arraigned on Sept. 4.

‘I could blow up the base if I wanted to’ threat leads to Indiana man’s arrest in Key West, cops say

KWPD: He claimed he was ‘testing’ base security

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Chris Gothner