Police Search For Phone Hacker Who Caused Massive Evacuation
VAIL, Colo. (CBS4)- Detectives are trying to figure out who is responsible for hacking a phone that set off a series of events that led to a massive evacuation over the weekend in Vail.
Police continue to search for the suspect who made a threat to detonate four pressure cooker bombs that were supposedly inside a Vail apartment building on Saturday.
A man called 911 demanding $20,000 be paid to him or else he would blow up the building, according to Vail Police.
The bomb threat forced people from their homes and closed streets in the area for three hours Saturday night as a bomb squad cleared the area. No devices were found.
According to police the suspect used a hacked cell phone from another Vail-area resident to place the call to dispatch just before 7 p.m. Saturday.
The caller demanded the ransom be delivered in a clear, plastic bag by an unarmed police officer to another location in Vail.
911 Caller: "I'm going to blow up every single apartment here and blow up everyone, including myself."
Vail police said the phone call was recorded, tracked and the owner of the phone located. The preliminary investigation revealed that the call was placed fictitiously, and without knowledge or authorization from the owner of the phone.
LINK: 911 Call
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Vail Police Detective Sgt. Luke Causey at 970-470-2372.
Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.
