'I have a bomb': Juvenile arrested in hoax threat on El Paso-to-Chicago airline flight
A juvenile was arrested in connection with a hoax bomb threat received on Friday by passengers aboard an airliner departing from El Paso to Chicago, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Monday.
The juvenile faces a state jail felony charge of making a false alarm following an investigation by the FBI's West Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes Texas DPS special agents, authorities said.
The phony bomb threat caused American Airlines flight 2051 to divert off the tarmac before takeoff and caused a search of the aircraft, passengers and luggage, authorities said.
The airline had 125 passengers and eight crew members on board when it was set to leave El Paso International Airport for O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.
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At 11:48 a.m. Friday as the airplane was taxiing to the runway, passengers received a message on their Apple devices via AirDrop stating, "I have a bomb would like to share a photo," DPS said in a statement.
After the plane returned to the gate, an investigation resulted in the identification of a juvenile, who allegedly confessed to the message. Investigators also found evidence on the juvenile's seized cellphone.
A bomb squad search of the airplane, passengers and luggage found no explosives and the threat was "deemed non-credible," the DPS said in a statement.
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The El Paso County Attorney's Office, which handles the prosecution of juvenile crime, agreed to prosecute the case. The name, age and gender of the juvenile was not disclosed.
Law enforcement authorities warn that threats, even if only intended as a joke, can result in criminal charges regardless of the suspect's age.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Juvenile arrested in hoax bomb threat to El Paso-to-Chicago flight
