KENT COUNTY, Mich.– A teenager, accused of sending threatening text messages to some of his classmates, has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation for criminal responsibility.
Benjamin Malachino, 17, a junior at Comstock Park High School, appeared in Kent County 63rd District Court on Wednesday for a preliminary hearing, but it was postponed after lawyers requested Malachino have a forensic evaluation.
Malachino is facing a felony charge of Threats of Terrorism, stemming from an incident in March involving some alarming text threats.
Investigators say the teenager sent the messages aimed at three students at Comstock Park High School and one student at Kenowa Hills High School. They included a partial list of people the teenage said he wanted kill and a young women he threatened to sexually assault, according to court records.
Prosecutors are taking the threats very seriously, but it’s unclear how the case will move forward.
Malachino remains in court custody and will be taken for a mental examination at facility in Ypsilanti over the next few days.
