Bail Denied After O'Hare Airport Bomb Threat

CHICAGO, IL — A California man who argued with a woman over a cellphone charging station Friday afternoon found himself in police custody, accused of making a bomb threat that brought the police bomb and arson squad to Gate H at the O'Hare International Airport.

The suspected threat shut down Terminal 3, forced evacuations and cancelled several flights on the busiest travel day of the year. The passenger, Otis Evans, 34, of San Diego, was charged with felony disorderly conduct, according to police. He appeared in court Saturday.

Evans was waiting to board an American Airlines flight back to California after visiting with family in the Chicago area when the altercation with a fellow traveler began at about 1 p.m. Friday. An American Airlines employee overheard Evans mention a bomb and alerted authorities, according to police.

Police and prosecutors allege he told the woman: “I just want you to know something — I have a bomb in my bag,” according to a Chicago Tribune account of his court hearing.

After his arrest, Evans told police, “The lady misheard me.”

A Cook County judge denied bail and told Evans his comments were "stupid."

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