LAKEWOOD, N.J. – A bomb threat was made against Georgian Court University in Lakewood earlier this week.
A juvenile from Monmouth County has been charged after allegedly calling in a false bomb threat that forced the evacuation of Georgian Court University on Thursday afternoon, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Authorities said the threat came in around 2:45 p.m. on February 5, when university officials received a phone call claiming that an explosive device had been placed inside a dormitory room. Police and emergency crews immediately evacuated campus buildings as the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit conducted a sweep. No explosives were found, and the campus was declared safe later that evening.
An intensive investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Gangs/Intelligence/Homeland Security Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security traced the call to a juvenile in Hazlet Township. The suspect was taken into custody and is being held at the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center.
The juvenile, whose identity is protected under state law, has been charged with making terroristic threats and causing false public alarm. Prosecutors said additional details cannot be released under N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-60, which restricts disclosure of information about juveniles charged as delinquent.
Key details:
- Bomb threat at Georgian Court University prompted full evacuation
- Juvenile from Hazlet Township charged with terroristic threats and false alarm
- Investigation involved multiple local, county, and federal agencies
“This was a great example of multiple law enforcement agencies working cohesively to ensure the campus was safe and to ultimately locate this juvenile and take him into custody,” Prosecutor Billhimer said, commending officers who worked through the night to resolve the threat.
