An Arlington man is in custody after police say he threatened to shoot his wife and her co-workers at Miller Brewing Company in Fort Worth on Saturday.
According to Fort Worth police, an employee of the plant called 911 Saturday around 8:00 p.m. and stated a man was possibly on the way to her workplace.
“My understanding is they might be going through some type of divorce,” Fort Worth Police Department spokesman Officer Jimmy Pollozani said. “Detectives were able to determine that there were specific and direct threats made towards the individual employee. During that time, there were over 500 employees that were currently working, so, we had a large contingency response.”
South patrol officers secured the perimeter of the plant and ordered a lockdown.
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“Just like any other company, any other business, anybody wants to protect their employees. So, they fully cooperated with our request,” Pollozani said.
The lockdown lasted approximately four hours.
“People were nervous,” Rick Miedema said. Miedema represents members of Local Union 997. "It was kind of a shocker when the police did come through the facility, had a lot of people calling me and texting me of what was going on. People were a little shaken up.”
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Police finally gave the all-clear after midnight after 39-year-old Michael Valadez was located in Arlington.
“We were able to obtain an arrest warrant,” Pollozani said. “In the course of the investigation, we also contacted Arlington Police Department, where the individual was residing in an apartment complex.
Homeland Security and Arlington police tracked Valadez who was seen walking out of his apartment located in the 300 block of Owl Creek Drive. Valadez was detained by Arlington officers.
Officers with the Fort Worth Police Department arrived at the location shortly after, arrested Valadez, and transported him to jail. Inside the apartment, officers made a significant discovery.
“During the consent to search the detectives and officers located 16 long guns and boxes of ammunition,” Pollozani said. “Anytime we have these types of threats, our officers take these things very seriously and we investigate to the fullest.”
In a statement to NBC 5, Molson Coors Beverage Company, which owns Miller Brewing Company said, “We’re grateful for the quick action to ensure the safety of our people.”
Valadez remains in jail and is charged with a felony of the third degree for a terroristic threat causing the public or a group to fear serious bodily injury. It is not known if he has a lawyer.
