Date: October 2, 2026
Prepared by: Joseph Bober, Public Information Officer
Email: PIO@flaglersheriff.com
Release #: 2026 – 211
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 16-year-old girl who utilized FortifyFL, a suspicious activity reporting tool designed to keep schools safe, to make numerous false threats against herself and others.
Between Aug. 13 and Sept. 15, the FCSO Criminal Intelligence Unit extensively investigated numerous false reports made through the FortifyFL app, which detectives ultimately linked to Lilyana Blanco, 16, of Palm Coast. During their investigation, detectives determined Blanco made a series of tips alleging violence by herself, her family members, and other students to provoke swatting incidents at multiple schools and her own residence.
On Aug. 13, FCSO received a tip through the FortifyFL app reporting that one of Blanco’s siblings had a firearm and had been “instructed to shoot up the lunchroom” at Rymfire Elementary School. Through investigative means, Criminal Intelligence Unit detectives determined the tip was submitted from a device in Blanco’s residence. Detectives responded to investigate the threat, conduct interviews, and seize Blanco’s cellphone as evidence. While detectives were at Blanco’s residence speaking to her mother, FCSO received another FortifyFL tip stating that an individual was going to Flagler Palm Coast High School to “shoot it up.” Deputies responded and quickly determined the threat was a hoax. Detectives were again able to trace the tip to Blanco’s residence, leading them to determine she had made the tip from another device while they were interviewing her mother.
On Aug. 19, detectives served a search warrant at Blanco’s residence and seized numerous electronics devices. The FCSO Digital Forensics Unit conducted a forensic review of Blanco’s phone, which confirmed it was the device used to send the FortifyFL tips.
On Sept. 14, FCSO received another tip through the FortifyFL app reporting that Blanco had plans of killing her family and burning her house down that night and had also planned on killing someone at her school earlier in the day but had decided not to. When deputies responded to Blanco’s residence to check on her and investigate the threats, Blanco denied making the threats and claimed she had no access to electronics. However, Criminal Intelligence Unit detectives once again traced the threat and determined it was made by Blanco.
On Sept. 16, detectives obtained an Order to Take Juvenile Into Custody for Blanco for unlawful use of a two-way communication device and false report concerning planting a bomb, explosive, or weapon of mass destruction, or concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner.
That same day, Criminal Intelligence Unit detectives located Blanco in the parking lot of the Palm Coast Landings shopping center. With assistance from the Fugitive Apprehension Unit, detectives took Blanco into custody. Upon her arrest, detectives discovered Blanco had a new cellphone, which had been purchased and given to her by her mother since the search warrant.
Photo 1: Lilyana Blanco, left, is taken into custody by a detective in Palm Coast, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026.
Photo 2: Deputies walk Lilyana Blano, center, to a patrol car in Palm Coast, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026.
Blanco was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility for processing. After being booked into the detention facility, she was transported to the Volusia Family Resource Center, where she is currently being held, and turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
“This girl repeatedly and dangerously abused a tool that students, parents, and the community rely on to help keep our schools safe, appearing to do so for no other reason than to cause fear, chaos, and waste our time. In fact, our agency has had to dedicate over 300 hours to investigate her baseless threats, and detectives are continuing to connect the dots on more threats they believe she made,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Although this is an extreme case, it’s a prime example of why it is important for parents to be monitoring their children’s use of electronics and know what they’re up to online. This never should have been allowed to happen, but this child was enabled by her mother, who knew she had a history of making false claims, and continued to allow her to access the internet with no restrictions. If she was looking for attention, she got it.”
Lilyana Blanco (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility mug shot)
In addition to the August and September swatting incidents, the Criminal Intelligence Unit is continuing to investigate numerous other false reports believed to be linked to Blanco since October 2025. Detectives are assisting investigators from multiple other agencies with swatting incidents believed to have been made by Blanco that targeted schools or residents in their jurisdictions.
Additional charges may be added based on the results of the investigations.
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