Elyria Twp. man charged with felony in threat at Chronicle-Telegram Sunday

An Elyria Township man is in custody, charged with a felony in connection with a threat at the Chronicle-Telegram building on Sunday. Robert S. Reynolds Jr., 34, of Lake Avenue, faces a charge of inducing panic, according to a news release from Elyria police. He was arraigned in Elyria Municipal Court early Tuesday morning and was being held without bond in the Lorain County Jail. Court records did not list an attorney for Reynolds. Upon arriving at the building at 225 East Ave. on Sunday afternoon, a Chronicle employee discovered a black mailbox with its flag raised, a brown paper food takeout bag with its top rolled down, a bottle of Zippo brand lighter fluid and a manila envelope with the words "Bomb Don't Touch" written on it in red marker sitting outside the public entrance. Elyria police, firefighters and the county bomb squad responded. No explosives were found. Portions of Third Street, East Avenue and Second Street were closed during the investigation. On Monday, Elyria police were called to the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, where Reynolds turned himself in. Elyria police said Reynolds confessed to placing the items at the Chronicle building. Detective Lt. Bill Lantz said Reynolds was upset about coverage of his family earlier this year in the Chronicle. Reynolds is the son of Robert Reynolds, the owner of the Dinner Bell Drive-In on Lake Avenue in Elyria Township. The Chronicle wrote in March about a complaint registered by Samantha Linder with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission about her experience at the Dinner Bell the previous September. In the complaint, Linder said manager Reynolds Jr., known as Shane, told her: "I'm surprised y'all still wanna eat here after what I said." When asked what was said, he said, "Black lives don't matter, all lives matter." The bomb threat remains under investigation. Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Elyria police Detective Anthony Demarco at (440) 326-1201. Unrelated to Sunday's incident, Reynolds Jr. was charged with felony intimidation and misdemeanor aggravated menacing in Elyria Municipal Court in May 2019. The felony was dismissed, he was convicted of aggravated menacing and ordered to pay $551 in fines and court costs, according to court records.Misdemeanor charges of failure to comply and obstructing official business were dismissed, records show. Reynolds Jr. also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief in Elyria Municipal Court in May 2019 and was ordered to pay $397 in fines and court costs, according to court records. He also pleaded no contest to and was found guilty of misdemeanor criminal trespass for an incident at Midway Mall in 2016. Jail time and a fine were suspended on the condition that Reynolds Jr. complete 20 hours of community service, according to court records. Municipal court judges have ordered Reynolds Jr. to undergo mental competency evaluations following several of his arrests, court records show.