TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee man has been arrested after police responded to a bomb threat at IHOP on Wednesday.
Walter Laws was arrested on Wednesday at the IHOP on Apalachee Pkwy.
According to arrest documents, Laws told police that some of his property had been stolen by unidentified suspects and that he was looking for help from witnesses to find the people responsible.
He told authorities that he made a fake bomb out of a plastic container, a piece of wire, duck tape, and an old cellphone. He told police he made it to look like a chlorine bomb.
Laws then placed the device in the back of his pick up truck and took it to the parking lot of IHOP.
When he arrived, he spoke with the witnesses who saw the "bomb" and asked what it was. Laws replied, "It's my insurance," leading the witnesses to call 911.
TPD bomb technicians responded to the scene and evacuated the restaurant. The device was later revealed to be fake.
Laws was taken to the Leon County Jail.
Tallahassee Police say they have detained someone after a bomb threat at the IHOP on Apalachee Pkwy.
Around 2:45 p.m., a passerby alerted officers that there was a truck in the parking lot of the IHOP that appeared to have a bomb in the back.
TPD's Bomb Squad responded and determined the claim to be a hoax.
They have since detained the owner of the vehicle.
An IHOP manager at that location stated that the restaurant could not comment at this time.
TPD is still on scene now.
