TOMS RIVER – A local man has been arrested and criminally charged after falsely stating he had a bomb in his backpack, authorities said.
Around 1:25 p.m., police were dispatched to the McDonald’s 1786 Hooper Avenue for a welfare check of a man in his 50’s who was reported to be in emotional distress and stated his “backpack was about to explode.”
Toms River Police Spokesperson Jillian Messina said that out of caution, the building was evacuated. Police detained the man while K9 officers cleared the backpack and building.
Messina said that the man later told police he did not have a bomb in his bag. As a result, he was arrested as well as charged with creating a false public alarm and charged on an active warrant.
At this time, the incident is still under investigation and the man’s identity has not been released.
