Arrest made in threat to North Baltimore schools

10/24/2013

NORTH BALTIMORE, Ohio -- A Cygnet, Ohio, man was arrested Wednesday and accused of sending "a threatening letter" to the North Baltimore Local School District board of education earlier this month.

Dwight Bower, 57, was arrested without incident about 3 p.m. Wednesday, charged with inducing panic, and booked into the Wood County jail pending arraignment, according to North Baltimore police Chief Allan Baer.

"This case was of great concern to the police department and especially the parents, children and staff of our schools," Chief Baer wrote in a statement released today. "We are fortunate that we were able to bring this case to a swift and successful conclusion. The residents deserve closure".

The letter was received about 2 p.m. Oct. 3, initiating a search of both schools, heightened police presence there, and an option for parents to keep their children at home for the duration of the alert, according to police.

The search of the Powell Elementary School and North Baltimore High School & Middle School buildings "for anything suspicious" turned up nothing but the schools remained on alert through the following day.

North Baltimore, which is in Wood County, is about 32 miles south of Toledo.