A 36-year-old Camden County man has been arrested for allegedly calling an elementary school and warning everyone would die if the school wasn't evacuated.
Todd Hughes, of Berlin, N.J., called the main office of Winslow Township Elementary School #2 in Sicklerville, N.J. at 12:20 p.m. on Friday, April 4 and made the threat, Winslow Township Police tell NBC10.com.
Winslow Township Police detectives say the phone call lasted about 14 seconds and during the call Hughes told a faculty member that if the staff didn't get the kids out right away, they would die.
The school, which is made up of nearly 300 children in grades Pre-K through 3rd, was immediately evacuated and dozens of officers, including K9 units descended on the school to search for any suspicious devices, officials said. Nothing was found.
Police say they also searched the nearby Winslow Township Elementary School #5 as a precaution, but again found nothing.
"The kids were scared. Some of the kids were crying and, you know, it's a scary event for them," said Officer Chris Dubler.
Detectives say they traced the phone call to Hughes' home and then arrested him on Friday night at his job -- a pizza shop in Merchantville, N.J.
He's been charged with Making Terroristic Threats and Causing a False Public Alarm.
Officials have not elaborated on a possible motive for the empty threat, but say he's no stranger to law enforcement.
Hughes is being held on $50,000 bail. An attorney was not listed for the man.
Photo Credit: Mugshots.com/Winslow Township Police