Vandalia woman accused in Miamisburg church threats indicted

Montgomery County Common Pleas Courtroom. JIM NOELKER/STAFF FILE

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Montgomery County Common Pleas Courtroom. JIM NOELKER/STAFF FILE

A woman indicted Tuesday is accused of making shooting threats toward at least two churches in Miamisburg.

Tonya Marie Dieker, 40, of Vandalia, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court for two counts of ethnic intimidation, a felony, and two misdemeanor counts each of aggravated menacing and telecommunications harassment.

Tonya Dieker

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

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Credit: Montgomery County Jail

The pastor of The Journey Community Church at 40 S. Fifth St. reported around 11:20 a.m. April 1 that the church received the threats via the church’s Facebook messenger, according to a Miamisburg Police Department incident report.

“The suspect was quickly identified, located and placed into custody on the same day as it was reported,” Sgt. Jeff Muncy said Monday.

The messages sent to the church mentioned the recent Nashville Christian school shooting, churches that do not support gay marriages or transgender people and ended with asking “how do you feel about killing your own family?,” according to an affidavit filed April 3 in Miamisburg Municipal Court.

The pastor said he viewed it as a “veiled threat” and asked for a police presence for services the next day. The threat had no affect on Easter services, Muncy said.

A message was left with the church seeking a response following the incident and charges filed against the suspect.

During an interview with Miamisburg police, Dieker reportedly admitted to sending messages to various churches and people associated with them and that she sends information all over the world that “judgment is falling,” according to the court document.

“Tonya said she did not see how she did anything wrong but could see how the messages could cause someone to panic,” the document stated.

No attorney is listed for Dieker who remains held on $100,000 bail in the Montgomery County Jail.

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