Bomb threat, robbery link probed
4/3/2014PORT CLINTON — A bomb threat that put the Port Clinton City Schools on lockdown for about an hour Tuesday and a robbery across town that day remained under investigation Wednesday as possibly connected.
Port Clinton police Detective Sgt. Corbin Carpenter said the phone call could be related to the robbery of Mickey's Smoke Shop, 1308 E. Perry St., about 10 a.m. Tuesday. An undisclosed amount of cash and merchandise were taken by “threat of force” by a man or teenager.
"The caller said someone would bring the bomb at 10 a.m. About the same time, the store was robbed. That's just a little too coincidental for us. ... [The call] could be a distraction," he said.
Officials ordered students to remain in classrooms and searched all buildings and arriving vehicles after the 8:30 a.m. call to 911 from a cell phone that could only call 911. Classes resumed about 11 a.m. at all schools except the high school, which remained locked down until noon.
Police reviewed store security-camera footage of the robber, who was described as white, 17 to 20 years old, about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, and "very thin."