14-Year-Old Boy Arrested, Accused Of Threatening To Bomb Potomac Mills Mall On Saturday

WOODBRIDGE, VA — A 14-year-old boy from Woodbridge faces charges after police accused him of threatening to bomb the Potomac Mills mall. The Prince William County Police Department evacuated the mall on Saturday night after they found a suspicious item, according to the police report.

An unknown person threatened the mall during a call to the public safety communications center around 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, according to the police report. During a canvass of the mall, officers claimed to have found "an item, which appeared to be suspicious in nature" near the food court, the police department said.

Officers evacuated the area until they were able to learn more about the item. The Virginia State Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit assisted officers on the scene, and they determined that the item was not a threat.

Authorities searched the remainder of the mall, but they did not locate any other suspicious devices. During their investigation, officers determined that the phone used to make the threat belonged to an employee who worked at the mall.

A teenager had approached the employee and asked to use their phone to make a call. The employee was unaware that the teen was using the phone to call in a bomb threat. Officers determined that the employee was uninvolved in the threat.

The teen who made the call has only been publicly identified as a 14-year-old boy. He was reported missing by a family member earlier on Saturday, police said.

On Sunday, the boy arrived at a police station in the county. He was arrested and charged with one count of threats to bomb. His court date is pending, and he is being held at the Juvenile Detention Center.

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