Teen is charged in bomb threat
By Caitlin Davis, Senior Staff Writer
Feb 18, 2013, 15:03
A teenager is facing charges after a bomb threat disrupted classes at Hopewell High School.
On Friday afternoon at 12:19, the Hopewell Police Department received a call about a bomb in the school. Deputy Chief Robert Skowron said after the call came into the police, students were evacuated from the school.
The police department and the fire department searched the building and no device was found. Skowron said the all clear was given shortly before 1:30 p.m. and students were allowed back into the building to resume classroom instruction.
“They were outside for a little over a hour,” Skowron confirmed.
Skowron said it has been more than a year since the last bomb threat was called into the high school.
Following the call, the police department began an investigating a phone number. Timothy Lewis, 18, of Hopewell was arrested following the investigation.
He is charged with communicating a bomb threat, misuse of a 911 line, falsely summoning law enforcement and disorderly conduct. He is currently being held at Riverside Regional Jail.
In Virginia, calling in a bomb threat is a Class 5 felony if the person is 15 or older. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor if the person is younger than 15.
Class 5 felonies are punishable with up to 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
