Fort Myers man pleads innocent to placing lookalike bomb device placed in downtown
A Fort Myers man charged with placing a mannequin, hung from a downtown Fort Myers tree with several political statements, first believed to be a bomb, is pleading innocent.
Court records indicate that Kent Kelley, 69, has filed a written plea of not guilty ahead of his Sept. 11 arraignment. He's represented by attorney Jose Nunez.
Kelley was released Aug. 11 on a $10,000 bond, records indicate.
On Nov. 8, 2022, Fort Myers Police responded to Centennial Park, in downtown Fort Myers, in reference to an unknown object on display, portraying a political message.
Police found a diorama near Centennial Park they said took hours to stage: a mannequin hanging from a tree. The doll sported political statements on its arms, legs and trunk, and appeared to have an electrical device attached, resembling items commonly used in the manufacturing of explosive devices.
The Southwest Florida Regional Bomb Squad responded and learned that the device was a hoax bomb that was built to resemble an actual explosive device.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Man accused of hanging lookalike bomb in Fort Myers pleads innocent
