Police allege Bensalem woman made bomb threats, phony 911 calls
A 43-year-old Bensalem woman is accused of filing more than 100 false 911 reports over nine months including death threats for two Bucks County district judges, Bucks County employees and the Bristol Township Police Department.
An alleged phony bomb threat called into a Bristol Township District Court on May 30 forced the evacuation of 20 people including the mother of the suspect, Valerie Joy Travis.
The threat indicated the explosion was to occur “in honor of” Travis’ mother, who was being evicted from a Bristol Township motel, and the caller said any survivors of the initial blast would be shot dead, according to a probable cause affidavit.
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The Bath Road courthouse was searched, but no suspicious devices found. The evacuation, though, forced the continuation of the hearing for Travis’ mother, police said.
Most recently, Bensalem police allege Travis was behind an anonymous tip posted through the township’s Crimewatch page claiming someone paid a street gang member to “assassinate” District Judge Joseph Falcone the first week of August, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Authorities traced the IP address of the Crimewatch subscriber to a Bensalem motel room where Travis and her mother were living. The women denied submitting any threats, the affidavit said.
Travis claimed that she doesn’t have a cellphone, but told police that she had her mother’s phone around the time the fake threat tip involving Falcone was made, the affidavit alleges.
A subsequent investigation determined two phone numbers associated with Travis were used to file116 false calls or text messages with Bucks County emergency dispatch about alleged violent threats including against county and court employees, two motels, and LGBTQ Pride events in Philadelphia, police said.
The calls were made between August 16, 2022, and May 30, 2023, police allege. All the reports were determined to be unfounded, but each required action from 911 dispatch and law enforcement.
Thirteen of the electronic tips threatening mass shootings or explosions were submitted through Bristol Township and Bensalem Crimewatch pages and the FBI National Threat Operations Center between April 28, 2023 and Aug. 1, the affidavit said.
Travis was arraigned Monday on three felonies including terroristic threats, and two misdemeanors. She was arraigned by District Judge Michael Gallagher and was sent to Bucks County correctional center in lieu of 10% of $750,000 bail.
Gallagher attached bail conditions including requiring Travis undergo a mental health evaluation, and abide by no-contact order for any district courts, government offices or government officials.
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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bensalem, Bristol Township police, courts target of phony threats
