Police arrested a suspect allegedly tied to a wave of online threats that prompted TikTok to evacuate its Los Angeles-area headquarters on Friday.
According to a press release from the Culver City Police Department, employees reported receiving multiple threatening messages across social platforms from 33-year-old Hawthorne resident Joseph Mayuyo. After an additional post specifically threatened TikTok’s Culver City office, company security evacuated the building out of an abundance of caution.
Detectives then focused on Mayuyo’s residence. During the investigation, he allegedly continued posting threats, including a statement that he would not be taken alive. Police obtained search and arrest warrants and spent roughly 90 minutes negotiating before Mayuyo exited his home voluntarily and was taken into custody. In its statement, the department commended TikTok’s security team for quick action, collaboration, and professionalism.
The incident shook staff. One employee described the threats as really scary, while another expressed concern that the messages appeared to single out the e-commerce division. Mayuyo’s account on X was reportedly suspended for violating the platform’s hateful content policy. A Medium post attributed to him in July criticized TikTok Shop USA as a scam.
The arrest arrives during a pivotal moment for the platform’s U.S. operations, which are being spun out from ByteDance into a new joint venture with a freshly appointed board. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order approving the sale, capping months of public discussion about the deal.
Friday’s evacuation and swift arrest underscore the increasingly serious nature of online threats and the role of corporate security and law enforcement in protecting workplaces, particularly in high-profile tech hubs like the Culver City headquarters.
