42°
The 5:13 a.m. a.m. caller claimed to be holed up in the BP station on New Bridge Road near the CSX railroad tracks and was planning to “blow the place up" -- prompting an immediate response, Bergenfield Police Capt. Mustafa Rabboh said.
The caller made several claims -- among them, that he could see police outside, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the incident said.
He continued to threaten to blow up the building before hanging up, Rabboh said.
SWAT team and bomb squad members eventually burst in and determined the call was bogus, the captain said.
"The scene was cleared and ultimately turned over to the owner," he said.
The incident occurred 3½ years after a similar call to a dry cleaners on the other side of the tracks from the gas station.
"This is a very serious call that will be thoroughly investigated," Rabboh said. "The caller(s), upon being identified, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
"A call of this nature depletes our resources from residents who truly need our services," he added.
Responders also included Bergenfield firefighters and OEM.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Garfield-Lodi and receive free news updates.
