Facebook Friend Request Goes Really Bad

DECEMBER 31--A North Dakota man threatened to kill a former co-worker and then kicked in the victim’s front door after he failed to accept a Facebook friend request, according to court records.

Police allege that Caleb Burczyk, 29, sent a series of threatening texts and Facebook messages to Robert Allen Thomas, a 39-year-old resident of Williston, a city about 80 miles south of the Canadian border.

Burczyk, seen at right, formerly worked with Thomas (and Thomas’s brother-in-law) for a company that maintains oil and gas wells. But after Thomas and his relative left to work for another firm, Burczyk was laid off and has remained unemployed.

As detailed in a probable cause affidavit, Burczyk last week began sending “aggressive” Facebook messages to Thomas, one of which warned, “Accept my friend request or I’m going to murder you.” In a December 26 message to Thomas, Burczyk wrote that he would “come at” Thomas if he failed to accept his friend request.

Burczyk, investigators charge, subsequently traveled to Thomas’s home--where several other family members live--and kicked in the front door before entering the residence. The affidavit does not indicate what Burczyk did once inside the property.

Burczyk was subsequently collared after Thomas’s father called 911 to report a burglary in progress. The break-in, cops say, was recorded by a home security system.

Charged with burglary and terrorizing, Burczyk was booked into the Williams County jail on the felony charges. He was released yesterday after posting $50,000 bond.

Burczyk today pleaded not guilty to the two charges. He is scheduled for an April 20 pretrial conference in District Court. (4 pages)