Police detain 11-year-old boy in Northampton County bomb threat

An 11-year-old boy has been detained in a bomb threat incident, Lehigh Township police in Northampton County report.

Police said on Wednesday around 8:15 p.m. township police were dispatched to a suspicious box on top of a mailbox in the 1200 block of North Cottonwood Road.

Police were unable to ascertain whether the box contained a device, so the area was quarantined and residents were told to stay indoors until the incident was resolved. The township fire department and Northampton Regional EMS, as well as the Allentown Bomb Squad were contacted to assist with the scene.

The Allentown Bomb Squad was able to ascertain that the box contained additional boxes, but no explosive devices or other harmful devices were found.

Upon investigating the incident, police learned that a threat was made from a middle-school age student toward another student at the end of the school day and the use of a bomb was implied.

Township police, in conferring with the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office, detained an 11-year-old boy to juvenile detention. No further information is being released to safeguard the identities of the children involved.

The area of North Cottonwood Road was closed for about two hours.