He said he had a bomb inside his bag, cops say. Then this Florida airport shut down
Fort Lauderdale International Airport was up and running Monday after a scare over the weekend and numerous flight delays.
According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were notified of a bomb threat.
“As a precaution, deputies have excavated Terminals 2 & 3 and have also shutdown entry into the airport,” read a Tweet Saturday. “BSO’s bomb squad is investigating. Persons headed to the airport are asked to avoid the area.”
The airport confirmed the incident, advising people to stay away from the area.
“Law enforcement has just reclosed #FLL’s lower-level roadway, and the upper-level roadway remains closed due to an ongoing security investigation,” said the post. “We apologize for any inconvenience, but the security & safety of our passengers & employees are our top priority.”
A Canadian man was arrested in the incident. Detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Threat Management Unit said Wegal Rosen, 74, faces one count of false reporting concerning planting a bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction, a second-degree felony.
According to investigators, at around 8:30 a.m. Saturday Rosen, who now lives in Deerfield Beach, was in a “heated verbal dispute” with a ticket counter employee.
During the argument, Rosen attempted to walk away from the counter located in Terminal 2 without his carry-on luggage.
The employee advised Rosen that he needed to take his bag with him, and he responded by telling the employee there was “a bomb inside.”
“BSO deputies, along with BSO’s Bomb Squad and Threat Management Unit detectives responded to the airport to investigate. During the investigation, Terminals 2, 3 and 4 were evacuated and swept,” said a release.
The suspect was located in the airport and taken into custody at BSO Main Jail; the threat was determined to be “unfounded.”
If convicted, Rosen could be sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $10,000.
This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 10:15 AM.
