Crime & Safety
Teen Charged For Making Hoax Bomb Threat Against East Brunswick Hooters: PD
The teen called in the fake bomb threat twice causing the restaurant to evacuate and nearby businesses to shelter in place, police said.
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A 16-year-old from Old Bridge was taken into custody and charged with an act of juvenile delinquency for making fake bomb threats against Hooters in East Brunswick, police said Monday.
The offenses for which the teen was charged if committed by an adult, would constitute False Public Alarm, police said.
On July 6 around 9:28 p.m., East Brunswick Police responded to Hooters in response to a phone call they received from an unknown person who claimed a bomb was located in the bathroom. The restaurant was forced to evacuate until a Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office bomb-sniffing K9 responded to the scene and determined no explosive devices were present, police said.
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On July 19, around 1:52 p.m., East Brunswick Police responded to Hooters once again to another bomb threat. The call was received from the same phone number as the previous incident, and the individual claimed there was a bomb in the bathroom, police said. The restaurant was evacuated once again, and surrounding buildings were advised to shelter in place. A Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office bomb-sniffing K9 responded to the scene and found no indication of a bomb.
On July 20, a follow-up investigation conducted by Detective Crispin Farrace, Detective Alexander Danese, and Detective Christopher Williams identified a 16-year-old suspect from Old Bridge, who provided a full confession and admitted to making both hoax bomb threats against Hooters.
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The juvenile was charged with two (2) counts of second-degree False Public Alarm and was remanded to the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center.
“Hoax bomb threats create public fear while putting first responders and the public in unnecessary danger. False reports waste emergency response resources, which may lead to real tragedies,” Chief Frank LoSacco said. “We hope this serves as a lesson to others considering doing such a reckless act that it will not be tolerated.”
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