Suspect arrested in downtown Bellingham bomb threat

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A 31-year-old man who allegedly made a bomb threat at the Downtown Sounds music festival in Bellingham on Wednesday evening was arrested, police said Friday.

The man was taken into custody by SWAT officers at his home in the 2600 block of Undine Street.

On Wednesday, just after 8 p.m. officers were called to the music festival in the 1300 block of Bay Street for a bomb threat received by a worker at the Bayou on the Bay. The caller reportedly told the worker he had placed bombs at two nearby businesses, the Black Sheep and the Spark Museum, authorities said. The employee said the caller told him the bombs would go off at 8:23 p.m.

Police responded and evacuated people at the festival and the immediate area, closing down the festival. People were ordered to move several blocks away.

A bomb technician was sent in, including the use of a police K-9, to check all the businesses in the area for anything suspicious; however, after a sweep of the area, police determined it was a hoax.

On Thursday, officers continued to investigate and said they were led to a phone number and its owner who had made ongoing threats to harm his roommate, including breaking his bones and worse, according to officials.

Authorities said SWAT and a crisis negotiator team went to the suspect’s house, contacted him by phone and tried to get him to come out. At midnight Friday, the suspect surrendered and was arrested without incident.

The man was booked into the Whatcom County Jail for threats to bomb or injure property, as well as felony harassment domestic violence, stemming from another case.

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