LOVELAND, Colo. – A transient from California was being held in Colorado after a fellow bus passenger said the man had threatened to detonate a bomb, prompting a search of two Trailways buses in Loveland on Wednesday.
No explosives were found.
The buses were traveling together from Salt Lake City to Denver, with a scheduled stop in Fort Collins, Colo.
A passenger alerted the driver of the second bus that the man had claimed to have a bomb and was threatening to detonate it, Larimer County sheriff's office spokesman John Schulz said. The driver alerted the driver of the first bus, who called authorities around 5:15 a.m.
Larimer County sheriff's deputies told the driver to have both buses head from U.S. 287 to the county fairgrounds. The drivers told passengers they had to stop and unload everyone due to mechanical problems, so as not to alarm the suspect or travelers. The buses unloaded 96 passengers.
The suspect stayed on board but came out voluntarily later, after authorities contacted him via the driver's cellphone. He was being held on charges of felony menacing and making a false bomb threat. A bond hearing is expected Thursday.
Schulz said the man identified himself as Roland Arel, 66, of Sacramento, Calif. Arel is believed to be a transient who boarded the bus in Salt Lake City, Schulz said. He had no government-issued identification with him, but Sacramento police indicated that they had some contact with the same man last fall, Schulz said.
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