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1 suspect in custody after bomb threat in Falls Church Starbucks

Just before 9 p.m. Saturday, Fairfax County Police said nothing suspicious was found in the backpack.
Credit: KENA BETANCUR
The Starbucks logo it's seen outside a store on May 29, 2018 in Philadelphia. (Photo credit should read KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images)

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- A chaotic day at a Northern Virginia shopping center came to an end Saturday evening.

Several businesses were evacuated after police reported that someone claimed to have a bomb.

The man was arrested after barricading himself inside of a Starbucks off Arlington Boulevard in Falls Church.

“A Starbucks employee came over and told us that a customer came in and he said that he had a bomb,” Lisa Nguyen, who works next door, told WUSA9.

The incident went down around 4:00 pm on Saturday when police said the man was told to get out.

“They had noticed that he was obviously intoxicated,” 2nd Lt. Christopher Sharp, with the Fairfax County Police Department, said.

Detectives said the man refused to leave and claimed to have explosives.

Starbucks employees called 911 and left the building.

When police arrived at the shopping center at 8104 Arlington Blvd they blocked off the parking lot and got people out of next-door businesses.

“The police came in to a restaurant and he told us that we had to leave,” Flora Akram recalled.

People were told to evacuate because the man who made the reported threat was still inside of the Starbucks.

“They were on their intercom and said please come out we want to talk to you,” Nguyen described.

“He finally did come out and he dropped that backpack,” 2nd Lt. Sharp said. “We have no reason to believe that anybody is in danger.”

The bomb squad showed up but found nothing suspicious.

The suspect was taken to the hospital to be checked out, and charges are pending.

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