Portsmouth Man Faces Charges Over Facebook, Instagram Post

PORTSMOUTH, RI -- A woman who claimed a man had threatened to burn her house down was giving her statement to a police officer when a text message came. She showed it to the officer, who investigated the link.

Police say on Sept. 27, around 12:13 p.m., Dylan Jason Mello, 20, of Portsmouth, sent a link to a video. The video showed him setting her pictures on fire and saying "burn, bitch, burn." He posted it on Facebook and on Instagram, police say.

Officers took him into custody a half hour or so later.

He was charged with three misdemeanors: domestic simple assault and battery; making crank or obscene phone calls; and vandalism / malicious injury to property.

Police said he told them he did not believe he had threatened the woman.