Old Bridge Boy, 16, Called In Bomb Threats To East Brunswick Hooters

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A 16-year-old Old Bridge teen called in false bomb threats to the East Brunswick Hooters, East Brunswick Police announced July 24.

The first bomb threat was called in July 6: At 9:28 that night, East Brunswick Police responded to the Hooters on Rt. 18 for a 911 call that a bomb was in the bathroom. The Hooters was forced to evacuate until a Middlesex County Sheriff’s bomb-sniffing canine responded and found no explosives present.

Then on the afternoon of July 19, a second bomb threat was called in, again claiming there was a bomb in the bathroom. The Hooters was again evacuated, and surrounding buildings had to shelter in place, as again the police dog was called in.

The next day, July 20, three Old Bridge police detectives — Crispin Farrace, Alexander Danese and Christopher Williams — identified the 16-year-old Old Bridge teen as the suspect. East Brunswick Police said they could not release how they tied the teen to the phone calls, so as not to compromise future investigations.

The teen provided a full confession and admitted to making both hoax bomb threats. He was charged with two counts of second-degree false public alarm and was remanded to the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center.

"False reports waste emergency response resources, which may lead to real tragedies. We hope this serves as a lesson to others considering doing such a reckless act that it will not be tolerated," said East Brunswick Police Chief Frank LoSacco.