14-year-old arrested for calling Potomac Mills bomb threat

Prince William County police arrested and charged a 14-year-old boy in connection with a bomb threat phoned in to Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge, Virginia, Saturday.

The Woodbridge teen, according to police, borrowed a mall employee’s phone and made the call to 911 around 6:45 p.m. Saturday. The employee didn’t know about the threat, and was not involved, police said.

Police arrested the boy after he and a family member came to the police station Sunday.



The teen’s family reported him as missing to police early Saturday evening before the call, police said.

After the threat was called in, Prince William County police said they found a “suspicious device” in the mall’s food court and evacuated the area. With help from the Virginia State Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, police determined the device wasn’t dangerous. They did search the rest of the mall.

The boy is charged with threats to bomb, which is a misdemeanor for anyone under 15. He is being held at the county’s juvenile detention center.

Jessica Kronzer

Jessica Kronzer graduated from James Madison University in May 2021 after studying media and politics. She enjoys covering politics, advocacy and compelling human-interest stories.

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