APD responds to bomb threat at Taco Bell

Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Alachua Police Department (APD) officers responded to Taco Bell (15350 NW 144th Way, Alachua) at 1:01 p.m. on Sunday, December 10, after an unidentified male called the restaurant and stated, “I have a bomb,” then quickly disconnected.

According to a social media post from APD, officers arrived and promptly evacuated the building. An outside search of the building was conducted to identify any potentially suspicious items, and nothing was found.

APD requested the assistance of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office explosive detection K-9; an extensive search of the building was conducted by the K-9 team and found nothing suspicious. The business has since returned to normal operations.

“While the threat was determined to be non-credible, the safety and well-being of our community remain our top priority. We do not take these indirect threats lightly and will investigate it to the fullest. We would like to thank the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance and the cooperation of Taco Bell’s management in ensuring a swift and effective evacuation,” stated Det. Thomas Stanfield, Public Information Officer for the Alachua Police Department.

Detectives are actively investigating the incident to identify the person responsible for the call. If you have any information, please contact the Alachua Police Department at (386) 462-1396.