Freehold Bomb Threat Was Domestic Terrorism Hoax

Monmouth County authorities arrested Jessee Carroll, 22, of Middletown on Friday and charged him with making bomb threats at the AMC theater complex at Freehold Raceway Mall on Monday December 14 and again on Friday the 18th.

Carroll is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on $200,000 bail with no 10% option as set by Superior Court Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen. Should he make bail, Carroll is ordered not to return to the scene of the crime or any other movie theaters.

The theater complex was evacuated twice this week after a series of threatening notes were discovered in the men’s room. Notes were found in the men’s room of the movie complex containing threats to either the theater management or specific threats of bombs inside the theater. One note on Friday afternoon read: “I’m coming for blood; 4pm bomb, 6pm empty mag in guests.”

Thorough checks of the movie complex yielded no threats to the safety of moviegoers, employees or management and business was returned to normal.

“We take these threats seriously and I commend our partners in law enforcement for their rapid response in keeping our residents safe,” said Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden. “The security of our homeland is a top priority and such false alarms and hoaxes will not be tolerated.”

“Making bomb threats in a movie theater is nothing short of domestic terrorism. Thankfully for everyone involved this was a hoax. We have wasted too much time, money and resources with these dangerous and disruptive threats. We will continue to fully respond to every threat to protect our citizens, but we are also going to react with the full force of the law every time threats turn out to be hoaxes,” Gramiccioni said.

On Dec. 14, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Freehold Township Police Department, K-9 units from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, Middletown and Wall police departments, New Jersey Homeland Security, Freehold Independent Fire Company, and Freehold First Aid all responded to the movie complex.

Yesterday afternoon, Dec. 18, the response included the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, K-9 units from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and Freehold Township Police Department.

If convicted of Public False Alarm, Carroll faces a sentence of five to ten years in a New Jersey state prison for each count, which also comes with a fine of no less than $2,000 and up to the actual costs incurred by any first responder agencies.

“Our Office fully intends to seek full restitution for the collective costs of all the responding agencies,” Gramiccioni added.

Anyone with additional information about this case should contact Detective John Catrone of the Freehold Township Police Department at 732-462-7500, or Detective Patrick Petruziello of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443.