Police have arrested and charged a 21-year-old Peterborough man in connection with a bomb threat at Lansdowne Place Mall in February.
On the afternoon of February 19, the mall received a bomb threat call. Peterborough police responded and evacuated and closed the mall, blocking all entrances.
Members of the York Regional Police Service’s bomb squad, including their bomb-sniffing police dog, were called in to check the property. No bomb was located and, by early evening, the mall was returned to the care of the property owner. There were no injuries during the incident.
Through an investigation, officers with the Peterborough Police Service’s Major Crime Unit identified a suspect and took him into custody without incident on Thursday (March 6).
As a result, a 21-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with false information and public mischief. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on April 15.
“This event caused a lot of disruption in our community, not to mention the impact on local businesses,” said Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts in a statement. “These types of incidents strike at the core of safety in our public spaces, and we take them seriously. For our officers in the Major Crime Unit to quickly identify and secure an arrest in this case within weeks of this incident, is outstanding.”
Chief Betts thanked members of the public who were in the mall for evacuating safely and Lansdowne Place management for their cooperation, as well as the York Regional Police for their assistance.
