PLAINFIELD, Ind. (WTHR) - A teen who made himself an early target of the search for "Brian Kil" is among those feeling relief after authorities announced the arrest of the suspect.
In January 2016, police staged a nighttime raid on Plainfield's Avon Avenue.
"I was waking up to a huge boom and I thought something fell upstairs," said one neighbor, remembering events over a year-and-a-half later.
The bang was SWAT raiding what they feared could have been the home of Brian Kil. The man online, threatening bombings and shootings around Plainfield for over a year.
They seized possible evidence, cell phones, and computers from several houses and questioned teens living there, like Patrick Sanders.
"I went on Facebook. I said I was Brian Kil. Just did it for a joke, you know," Sanders said.
But police weren't laughing and Patrick became an early person of interest in the case - and that had a big impact on his life.
"People were constantly harassing me. Throwing rocks at me. Stuff like that had more of an effect on my family than it did me. And I hope the same doesn't happen to him," Sanders said.
That "him" is Buster Hernandez, the Brian Kil suspect arrested in California - who eluded the FBI for over a year, stealing or faking online identities and sexually exploiting young girls online around the United States.
Hearing about the arrest, Patrick Sanders said Monday, "that was pretty incredible, outsmarting the FBI and all, you know. I'm just like, 'Wow, the guy's a mastermind.' I wish he could put it more toward good than bad."
"I knew it wasn't Patrick," says Sanders' neighbor Jonathan Haney.
Folks around Plainfield are feeling relief at the arrest of a suspect who put nerves on edge here for over a year.
"I hope to God that they apprehended him. Especially with child exploitation. I hope he pays. I really do," Jonathan Haney said.
William Anderson said he was glad Hernandez was caught because of the fear he put into the students in the community.
"(I) feel more protected at school, like we just got rid of our see-through backpacks. It was so annoying," said high school student Michaela Haymaker. "Going through those checkpoints was really annoying, too."
"I think it's just a relief that I don't have to buy a see-through backpack, too," said her friend, Jerrica Ramey.
Andrea Conlon is mother to a middle schooler and had high school students at the height of the bomb and shooting threats.
"It was scary knowing your kids were out there and they had not found this person. Is it someone who lives next door to us?" she said.
Plainfield Schools Superintendent Scott Olinger issued a statement Monday saying the school was going to remain vigilant.
"It is important to note: this does not mean that our safety and security measures will lessen. Protecting the children of Plainfield will always be our #1 priority," he said.
Hernandez is expected to be extradited back to Indiana in the coming days to face the federal charges.