Man Arrested for Causing Bomb Scare at Route 1 Business: Police

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A bomb threat Tuesday at a business on Route 1 turned out to be a hoax, and a Louisiana man is facing charges for causing the incident, according to the Fairfax County police.

The police arrested and charged the suspect, Jeremiah Vernon Hazelton, 31, with utilizing a hoax device, threats to burn and wearing a mask in public, they said in a statement. The police did not identify the business where the incident took place, but said it was in the 6000 block of Richmond Highway (Route 1).

They called in the bomb squad after Hazelton placed several suspicious packages around the business, demanded that customers leave the premises and waved a knife in the air, the police said.

The incident began at about noon Tuesday, when a man identified as Hazelton walked into the business while carrying a large black duffle bag. He sat down to use a computer, got up several times to walk around, and then pulled a mask over his face and announced that everyone needed to evacuate the building.

"He retrieved two packages that were wrapped in paper, which he had apparently placed in front of the business," the police said. Hazelton also took a large knife from his duffle bag and waved it in the air, demanding that the business call the police.

Officers arrived at the scene and took Hazelton into custody, the police said. They also found the packages and duffle bag and contacted the Police Department's Explosives Ordnance Disposal Unit (commonly known as the bomb squad) to examine them.

They turned out to be harmless. "An X-ray of the packages and duffle bag revealed a number of random, non-lethal items," the police said.

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