Tucson police arrested a 22-year-old man on bomb hoax charges Friday, after he left a backpack on top of the snake bridge, causing police to close Broadway Boulevard to traffic for nearly four hours while they investigated the suspicious package, authorities said.
At about 3:15, a person called 911 to report that a man had attached a backpack on top of the Diamondback Bridge, in the area of East Broadway and North Aviation Parkway, according to a Tucson Police Department news release.
When officers arrived, they found the backpack on top of the enclosed pedestrian bridge, causing police to close the bridge and Broadway so they could investigate, the release said.
The department's bomb squad arrived at the scene and discovered that the backpack's contents weren't explosive.
Sometime during the four-hour road closure and investigation, the owner of the backpack, Marcus Alan Swift, returned to the scene and claimed it as his, the release said.
He was interviewed by detectives and booked into the Pima County jail one one felony hoax charge and outstanding misdemeanor warrants. Swift could also be forced to repay the costs associated with the police and fire department's emergency response to the incident.
