Update: Anthrax letters an April Fool's joke

Update: A central Florida man has told police he put dozens of envelopes containing a white powder resembling anthrax on cars at a hospital as an April Fool's prank.

Jerron Mario Moffitt was arrested at his home Friday night. The Highlands County Sheriff's Office says he confessed that he bought the envelopes and baby powder and placed them on the windshields of nearly 50 cars Florida Hospital Heartland Division in Sebring. He also placed some envelopes in mailboxes on nearby residential streets.

Moffitt said it was all in good humor and even placed an envelope in the mailbox of his own residence to fool his father.

Moffitt, who is on probation for burglary and grand theft, faces 79 counts of committing a possible hoax and violating probation.

Jerron Mario Moffitt made his first appearance in Polk County this morning. Moffitt is charged with 79 counts of hoax weapon of mass destruction with bond set at $790,000 and was also charged with Felony Violation of Probation.

4-3-09:

Sebring, Florida — Sheriff's deputies have arrested a man they say is responsible for Thursday's anthrax scare.

Jerron Mario Moffitt, 20, was arrested at his home around 8 p.m. tonight and charged with 75 counts of a hoax weapon of mass destruction.

Investigators said that, during questioning, Moffitt admitted he committed the crimes.

Envelopes containing a white powder were found Thursday on vehicles at Florida Hospital. Similar envelopes were found at 32 other locations mostly within the Sun 'n Lakes community.

Earlier Story:

Sebring, Florida - Authorities have zeroed in on one "significant" person of interest, believed to be behind the anthrax scare that forced the lockdown of a hospital and town hall.

"We have significant evidence and leads," said Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton, who remained confident Thursday afternoon that the person would be found.

Several eyewitnesses have come forward describing the same person and same vehicle, leading detectives to believe only one person is involved.

"The key right now is to put a name with the person we are looking at," said Sheriff Benton.

We are waiting for the description to be released. A picture may also be released, according to the sheriff.

In all, 81 envelopes were found on cars parked at the Florida Hospital in Sebring and in mailboxes of at least five different communities.

The most recent envelope was discovered on a car in the hospital parking lot Friday morning. It is not believed to be a new case, but instead overlooked during Thursday's search.

The sheriff said, "Truthfully, it was in an isolated area. The vehicle had been there for quite some time, it belongs to a patient."

Preliminary tests showed the substance is not harmful to humans, but investigators are waiting on further tests to determine what it is.

The anthrax scare began around 4:30 a.m. Thursday when a nurse discovered an envelope with the suspicious substance and note threatening anthrax on her car. She then brought it inside the hospital.

Sheriff Benton says that was a mistake.

"None of the significant lockdowns would have occured yesterday had not one entered a building with this material, because every one of the envelopes was outside," she said.

She's hoping a valuable lesson is learned here. She stresses to the public that if you ever receive a suspcious package or envelope, do not open it.

Firefighter Lt. Craig Marnas was working at the Sun N Lakes town hall when a woman walked in around noon on Thursday with the envelope she found in the mail.

He said she had the powder on her and inside her car.

"She actually did not realize she was in immenent danger. She didn't know what it was. That's why she brought it inside to see what it was," he said.

Right away, people knew the envelope must have had something to do with the scare at the nearby hospital.

"The main significant thing on her envelope was a smiley face with x's [on the eyes] that were on this particular envelope," said Marnas. He said it matched other envelopes found that day.

While a motive is not known, Sheriff Benton said it does not appear the antrax scare is a belated April Fool's joke. There's also no indication of why the 81 people were targeted.

"There's been no connectivity between the people who recieved them, what their relationship was with the hospital, their job, age, there just doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason," said Sheriff Benton.

People who live in Sebring are still upset about Thursday's scare, not only because of the inconvience, but what could have happened during the time when their hospital was on lockdown.

"Somebody could have died, plain out," said Marnas, "Somebody could have gotten sick and died now that they had to go to a hospital more than 15 minutes away."

He added, "I hope they throw the book at him."