Arrests made in connection with suspicious package

Two men were arrested Friday in connection with a suspicious package left on the steps of a district courts building, prompting an investigation and shutdown of the Weatherford area Tuesday morning.

Kristopher Daniel Cloud, 24, and Parker Bryan Whitworth, 27, both of Lipan, face charges of terroristic threat, a third degree felony, and one count of terrorism, a second degree felony.

The arrests come after a county employee Tuesday morning located a hard-sided black plastic case that had been padlocked and wrapped in caution tape, with what appeared to be an antenna sticking out of it.

A massive response from local, state, and federal law enforcement, local fire departments, and EMS concluded hours later after it was determined by bomb squad technicians that the case contained no harmful components or explosives.

The Parker County Sheriff’s Office named the incident its Crime of the Week, asking for public assistance Thursday in locating the individuals who were captured on surveillance footage at the scene around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“Sheriff’s office investigators and the Texas Rangers have worked diligently on this investigation and thanks to several tips received by our local citizens, they were able to identify and arrest two individuals with this investigation,” Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said.

Court records show Whitworth was scheduled for plea negotiations in Judge Graham Quisenberry’s courtroom Tuesday afternoon after being charged in December with unlawful carry of a weapon with felony conviction.

As of Friday afternoon, Cloud and Whitworth remained in the Parker County Jail on bond amounts of $400,000 each.