Suspect Arrested in Church Threats

Oakland County, Mich., police say a man who ran his parish’s Web site was behind a series of threats that led to the cancellation of Sunday’s services.

Roy Yaryan was being held Thursday in the Oakland County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bond on felony charges of making a false report or threat of terrorism and using a computer to make threats, the Detroit News reported.

Police say Yaryan, who administered the Web site for the Evanswood Church of God, sent e-mails to church members claiming to be the pastor of the church. In the April 25 e-mails, the author alluded to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and warned parishioners the Mr. Hyde side of his personality was about to emerge.

The e-mails threatened a mass killing in the style of those at Columbine or Virginia Tech.

We are all breathing a little easier around here today knowing the person they believe did this is in jail, said the Rev. Jeremy Pastor of the non-denominational church.