Man charged with falsifying social media threat against Cary-Grove High School

A man has been charged with fabricating a social media post to implicate a former student for threatening violence at a high school in northwest suburban Cary.

Daniel M. Battaglia, 18, of Cary, was charged with a felony count of disorderly conduct, according to a statement from Cary police.

Investigators were made aware Monday of several social media posts “depicting violent acts that were initially perceived as a threat from a former student to the Cary-Grove High School,” police said. Further investigation revealed one of the posts was “altered by overlaying violent messages to implicate the former student in these acts.”

The fabricated post was then spread on social media, drawing the attention of multiple school and law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, police said. Battaglia was identified as the suspect and arrested on Wednesday.

He was taken to the McHenry County Government Center, and was released on bond Thursday morning, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.