TOMS RIVER, NJ – A man at a McDonalds in the Silverton section of Toms River caused a panic inside the restaurant after he told police his backpack was about to explode.
Officers with the Toms River Police Department evacuated the restaurant.
At around 1:25 pm on Tuesday, Toms River police officers were dispatched to the McDonald’s restaurant at 1786 Hooper Avenue for a welfare check of a reported adult male in his 50’s in emotional distress who stated his backpack was about to explode.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the building was evacuated and employees and patrons were directed to an adjacent property,” according to Jillian Messina, spokeswoman for the Toms River Police Department. “The male suspect was detained by responding officers while K9 officers cleared the backpack and building before allowing anyone back inside.”
He later confessed to police that he did not have a bomb in his backpack.
Messina said the man was placed under arrest without incident.
“He was charged with creating a false public alarm and charged on an active warrant. The incident remains under investigation,” she said.