Newark NJ police arrested a local man who allegedly informed police officers that he put a bomb at Newark City Hall.
According to law enforcement officials, the suspect walked up to police officers at City Hall and said that he had planted a bomb somewhere in the Newark building. However, when police asked the suspect to get more specific, he reportedly refused to tell them exactly where he placed the bomb.
Police officers placed the suspect under arrest shortly after he made the comments about the bomb.
While the suspect was being detained, additional law enforcement was called to City Hall to evacuate the building and conduct a sweep of the premises. Members of the Essex County Sheriff’s Bomb Unit and the Newark Police Department Emergency Response Team searched City Hall but did not find a bomb.
The suspect is a 47-year-old resident of Newark NJ. Although no bomb was found, the suspect has still been charged with creating a false public alarm.
If the suspect is convicted of creating a false public alarm, he faces severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:33-3, anyone who circulates a false warning about an impending bombing can be charged with a third degree criminal offense. A conviction on third degree felony charges could result in a sentence of 3-5 years in NJ State Prison.
For further information about this case, see the NJ.com article, “Man Accused of Making Bomb Threat to Cops at Newark City Hall.”