A California man has been arrested for allegedly sending fake ransom demands to family members of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie who remains missing.
Derrick Callella of Torrance, California, faces charges of sending a ransom demand and harassment after allegedly texting Guthrie’s daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni on Monday, according to a federal criminal complaint filed in Arizona.
The text message read: “Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction,” investigators said. Law enforcement officials traced the message to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application registered to Callella’s email address.
After receiving Miranda warnings, Callella admitted to sending the messages. He told investigators he obtained family information from a “cyber website” and had been “following along and watching TV.” He claimed he sent the messages “to see if the family would respond.”
The FBI has clarified that Callella’s messages are not believed to be connected to the original ransom demand made on February 2. Fox News reporter Bill Melugin noted that federal authorities quickly tracked Callella through his IP address despite his attempt to use the VoIP app to conceal his identity.
At a Thursday press conference, Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix division, issued a stern warning: “My next message is to those impostors who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation. We will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions.”
The investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance continues. On Wednesday night, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a video pleading for the safe return of their mother.
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