Police: Conn. Man Said He Wanted To 'Take Students Hostage, Traumatize Them'

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Police say they have arrested a Connecticut man after he told authorities "disturbing details" about wanting to harm students at a Fairfield elementary school.

Joseph Russo was arrested Monday and charged with threatening and threatening an act of terrorism, police said.

Back on Oct. 27, police were responding to a call for assistance on Post Road in Fairfield when they encountered a distraught Russo, who told officers he wanted to hurt students at an elementary school, police said.

Russo said he had been thinking about doing something for years and wanted "immediate help regarding his troubling thoughts so he wouldn't act on his current belief of hurting school children," police said.

He was then taken to St. Vincent's Medical Center for an evaluation and police notified schools of the alleged threat, authorities said.

After investigating further, police said they discovered that Russo had previously made similar threats to others saying that he "wanted to take students hostage to traumatize them."

Police said investigators determined there was enough probable cause to arrest Russo and he was taken into custody Monday morning after being released from a medical facility.

He is being held on $75,000 bond.

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