SKOWHEGAN — A 14-year-old boy from New Hampshire faces possible criminal terrorizing charges after allegedly calling in a bomb threat to the Skowhegan Walmart store Saturday night.

The store, which was about an hour from closing when the call came in just before 9 p.m., was evacuated, according to Skowhegan Police Chief Ted Blais.

“He didn’t say much; he just said a very basic phrase, ‘You’re going to be bombed,'” Blais said Monday.

There were not many shoppers in the store at the time of the call and a bomb detection dog taken to the store did not find a bomb, Blais said.

“We were able to get the phone number off their caller ID and we tracked it down to a house in Belmont, N.H.,” Blais said. “It was determined to be a prank call.”

Belmont is about seven miles south of Laconia in the southern part of New Hampshire’s lakes region. Blais said the boy has a relative, possibly an uncle, in the Skowhegan area.

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Five police officers, including Blais and Detective Daryl Gordon responded to the call. Blais said Gordon was scheduled to meet Monday with an official from the district attorney’s office to discuss how the boy is to be charged.

“It’s considered terrorizing,” the chief said. “There will be charges.”

The boy could be charged in New Hampshire or in Skowhegan. If he is charged in Skowhegan, the boy will have to appear in court in Somerset County.

“Depending on how much of a disruption it caused, the charges will have to be determined by the DA,” Blais said. “There is no indication of motive at all — it was just a prank.”

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Doug_Harlow


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