VERO BEACH — The attorney representing the suspect in the Vero Beach Elementary School bomb threat hoax has released a statement on behalf of his client and his client’s family.
Matthew Hawks, 26, was arrested April 1 after authorities say he made multiple phone calls to 911 making bomb threats against Vero Beach Elementary. He currently faces a charge of falsely reporting a bomb and has been released from the county jail in lieu of $5,000 bond.
Hawks is represented by Ohle & Ohle, Attorneys. His lawyer is Jesse H. Larsen, sent the following statement to m.VeroNews.com via email.
The statement is as follows and is unedited.
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF MATTHEW HAWKS
My name is Jesse Larsen and I represent Matthew Hawks in regard to allegations of a hoax bomb threat made against Vero Beach Elementary School on April 1st. Both Matthew and his family are still reeling from the traumatic events of the past 72 hours. We are certain the same is true for all of the children, family members, and law enforcement personnel who were affected by this incident. As this story begins to unfold in the media, it has become clear that important parts of the narrative are being left out. While pending criminal charges limit how much information can be disclosed, Mr. Hawks’ family felt that it was important to provide the following background information to avoid an irreparable misunderstanding of the facts.
Matthew has been clinically diagnosed with an intellectual disability. His IQ scores place him in the bottom 2% of the population in terms of cognitive ability. He has also been diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder. Asperger’s is an Autism Spectrum Disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Upon turning 18 years of age and becoming a legal adult,
Matthew was evaluated by a physician who recommended that Matthew needed the legal protection of a limited guardianship. At that time Matthew voluntarily surrendered his right to marry, travel, enter into contracts, manage property, determine his residence, consent to medical treatment, and to make decisions about his social environment. The guardianship requires that these decisions be made by Matthew’s father and maternal grandmother who have raised him since his mother’s passing in 2001. As a 26 year old adult, Matthew continues to be defined as a “vulnerable adult” under Florida law and is legally incapable of handling his own affairs.
Matthew was detained for questioning in reference to this incident in the early evening hours of April 1st and remained in police custody until he was booked into the Indian River County Jail in the early morning hours of April 2nd. During that course of time Matthew’s father, Gregory Hawks, made Detectives of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office aware of Matthew’s cognitive limitations and his guardianship status. Neither I nor Matthew’s family had the opportunity to watch all of the press conferences and interviews given by representatives of the Sheriff’s Office as they attempted to deescalate the tensions caused by the alleged bomb scare. However, we are sure that this information was at some point passed along by law enforcement to various news outlets. It concerns the family deeply that sensationalism of this story may have contributed to this important information being omitted from news reports.
As this matter moves forward through the judicial process, I look forward to presenting the full story regarding the events of April 1, 2014. The family would like to thank the media for allowing Matthew’s side of the story to be told. At this time the family requests privacy and would like to express gratitude for the support they have received.
OHLE & OHLE, P.A.
Jesse H. Larsen, Attorney for Matthew Hawks
