The 18-year-old Kaua‘i Community College student who was arrested Oct. 9 on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening after a handwritten note referencing explosives was found, has been readmitted to the school and expects to be exonerated at his first appearance in court next month, according to KCC officials, family members, and the student himself.
Bryson Cabalteja’s sisters Marlene and Felina, who chose not to disclose their last names, said in a written statement, “In the coming days, it will be proven that Bryson is innocent. This arrest was based on a misunderstanding of a note and was taken out of context.”
Cabalteja said yesterday in a phone interview the note left on his teacher’s desk was a reference to an episode of the popular Discovery Channel television program “Mythbusters” that had aired the night prior to the incident and its interpretation as a threat was a “misunderstanding.”
The TV series, filmed largely in San Francisco, stars special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who scientifically test the plausibility of rumors, urban legends, news reports and, as the title would suggest, myths.
Popular segments have included a test to determine the lethality of a penny dropped from a tall building, the viability of escaping from Alcatraz prison using raincoats, and the possibility of cell phone use bringing down airplanes.
The episode Cabalteja allegedly watched Oct. 8 was titled “Exploding Steak” and tested alternate steak tenderizing methods, including explosives, shooting the meat from a cannon, and putting it in a laundry dryer. All three techniques were not busted but “confirmed,” according to a fan Web site.
“I found it to be interesting, and all I wanted to do was share this information with my instructor or my classmates,” said Cabalteja, a culinary student. “But then I decided to leave a note instead.”
Marlene said the note said something to the effect of “you can tenderize a steak with explosives or a cannon.”
The teacher, intimidated by the remarks written on a napkin, reported it and police responded. KCC administrators called a meeting to discuss this matter and took it seriously, according to Kaua‘i Police Department Lt. Kaleo Perez.
“We conducted a sweep of the school for any suspicious matter or packages,” Perez said roughly one week after the incident, declining to divulge the text of the note. “Nothing was found. There was no indication from his statement that there was any explosive.”
“It did not state that there were any explosives planted anywhere. The message just referred to something that could possibly occur.”
A phone message left for Perez yesterday was not returned as of press time.
In a letter to Marlene that was provided to The Garden Island, Dean of Students Earl Nishiguchi said Cabalteja had returned to school on Oct. 22 and “has the same rights and responsibilities as all other students attending KCC.”
Nishiguchi yesterday confirmed that Cabalteja had returned to school, but declined to comment further, citing privacy laws.
According to KPD records, Cabalteja, of Hanama‘ulu, was arrested at 4:29 p.m. for first-degree terroristic threatening, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Perez said Cabalteja posted $5,000 bail.
Cabalteja will appear in court on Dec. 3, according to Marlene, and ask for a full dismissal of his case.
“To us, it doesn’t have any merit,” she said.
