Crime & Safety
Heights Police Investigate McDonald's Bomb Threat
The fast food restaurant was evacuated Wednesday night as bomb sniffing dogs searched the building after a bomb threat phone call was received.
McDonalds on Route 17 South was evacuated for more than an hour Wednesday night as police, fire and county bomb squad investigated a bomb threat to the fast food restaurant, reported Hasbrouck Heights Police Captain Jack DeLorenzo.
The restaurant was vacated and searched by Bergen County Police Bomb Squad dogs who sniffed out the entire location. Nothing was turned up, the captain said. The surrounding area was also checked for any suspicious persons or activity, he said.
The restaurant reopened once all was deemed clear and safe, said the captain.
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DeLorenzo said the investigation continues as police are working to trace back the phone call the restaurant received around 7 p.m. The call came through on a blocked number, which unfortunately takes longer to trace back, DeLorenzo said.
The captain added that a bomb threat is a serious crime and it’s no longer something the police see very often. There was a time when these types of threats were often pranks but since 9/11 it's a very serious crime and treated as terrorism, he explained.
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