West Caldwell Shopping Center Evacuated After Bomb Threat: Police

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — Authorities temporarily evacuated the TJ Maxx and nearby stores in the West Caldwell Plaza shopping center earlier this week due to a bomb threat. A search of the area didn’t turn up any explosives, police said.

According to West Caldwell PD Chief Gerard Paris, West Caldwell police received a report that a bomb threat was called into TJ Maxx at 6:10 p.m. on Monday. Officers immediately responded to the scene and ordered an evacuation shortly afterwards.

Police informed the Essex County Sheriff Department about the threat. While West Caldwell police set up a perimeter, a sheriff’s department bomb squad and K9 unit responded to the scene and searched the inside of TJ Maxx, but didn’t find any explosives, authorities said.

“TJ Maxx followed their store policy concerning these kind of threats and closed the store until law enforcement could search the building,” Paris said. “The adjacent stores were notified of the investigation and voluntarily closed.”

An investigation into the incident continues, Paris said Wednesday.

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