A Harlingen man arrested for threatening to shoot up a local Walmart store in August of last year pleaded not guilty to a charge of making a terroristic threat on Wednesday.
Jose Luis Gonzales, 22, was arrested by Harlingen Police on Aug. 10, 2019 after the department conducted an investigation to the threat, which was posted on an unknown social media site.
Records show that Gonzales submitted a waiver of arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday. The case is set for trial on Jan. 18, 2021.
According to records, Gonzales remains out on a $75,000 bond, posted on Aug. 16, 2019.
The threat allegedly made by Gonzales came just over a week after a 21-year-old man from Allen, Texas, was arrested and charged with capital murder in connection to the shooting and killing 23 people at a Walmart in El Paso, leaving 23 others injured.
A photograph of the post about the Harlingen Walmart that appeared in local media reports resembled a Facebook account operated by a “Louie Gonzales”. The post stated, “Harlingen Walmart will be shot up on August 11.”
Harlingen Police wrote in a press release that the department became aware of the threat at around 3:35 a.m. on Saturday, Aug.10 and arrested Gonzales following an overnight investigation.
