Northside Bomb threat prankster arrested

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — An arrest has been made in connection to a bomb threat prank that occurred on April 18.

According to the Warner Robins Police Department, Northside High School was placed in a code yellow in response to the prank.

During the code yellow, the police department, Warner Robins Fire Department and Houston Healthcare EMS responded to the scene.

The Warner Robins Police Department searched the school. Fortunately, no explosives were found on scene, and classroom operations returned to normal. The Albany Police Department assisted on the day of the threat.

According to Police Chief John Wagner, on that day, the Warner Robins Police Department was able to trace the suspect to an Albany address. Albany Police Department detectives responded and interviewed persons of interest, and from that investigation, there was sufficient evidence to make an arrest.

After their investigation, 17-year-old Monquavious Demond Hope of Albany was arrested and charged in connection to phoning in the threat. Hope was connected to the high school through a mutual friend. Hope will be charged with felony Terroristic Threats.

Hope was arrested in Albany and temporarily held at the Dougherty County Jail. The Houston County Sheriff’s Office transported the suspect back to Warner Robins, where he is currently held at the Houston County Detention Center.

According to the police department, 11 officers, a firetruck and 2 ambulances were on scene for at least 5 hours on the day of the prank. They say calls like this are dangerous, time consuming, and drains law enforcement of their resources.

The Warner Robins Police Department has plans to ask Houston County’s District Attorney’s office to assist in repaying some of the taxpayer money that was lost in what they called a pointless prank.

“It’s an expensive venture,” Wagner said. “It’s a lot of resources that were being used on a prank, and it was pretty pointless in the end.”

Warner Robins Police Department said they will investigate and charge any suspects who are involved in pranks of this nature, stressing that making terroristic threats is a felony.

“I hope with this case — with people seeing that we’re making arrests — that they’d think twice about it,” Wagner said.

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