Pa. man makes fake bomb threats at 2 schools to distract police during bank robbery
NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. October 24 2019 Police arrested a man Tuesday who called in bomb threats at two high schools in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, that were supposed to be a distraction while he robbed a bank.
Luke Dell was apologetic as officers escorted him out of the North Huntingdon Police Department. Hours earlier, he was wearing a realistic mask of an older man.
“The mask was very high-quality mask and made him look like he’s in his late 60s, early 70s when in fact he was a 35-year-old male,” said North Huntingdon Police Chief Robert Rizzo.
Police say he passed a note inside a Bob Evans restaurant saying there would be bombs and active shooters at Norwin and Jeannette high schools, prompting the districts to go on lockdown, and releasing the high school students early.
Police say Dell wore a realistic mask of an older man when he made the threats.
“I wouldn’t doubt it was a headache for the parents because a lot of parents were at work,” said Gary Evan who has a grandson at Norwin High.
Police say the threats to the school were all a plan to create a distraction, so that he could rob a bank across town.
Officers pulled Dell over on Robin Station Road, arrested him while he was still in the mask and the bomb squad searched his car.
They didn’t find any weapons.
“This wasn’t something he did on spur of the moment,” Rizzo said.
Police say Dell told them that he later changed his mind and decided not to go through with his robbery plan.
Dell was denied bond.
WPXI/CNN
