A person identifying as “Bobby Entrekin” contacted police at about 1:47 a.m. Oct. 22 to report he’d planted explosive devices at White Sands Beach Resort in Holmes Beach and they would detonate in 30 minutes.
Law enforcement found no explosive devices at the resort, 6504 Gulf Drive, but the threat prompted an evacuation and multi-agency response.
“The subject calling in the threat sounded agitated and expressed being upset with ‘Cubans’ in the area. The call originated from … an area code from California. The caller advised that he was currently located in Shreveport, Louisiana, but gave no further description,” according to a police report.
Based on the called-in threat, two Holmes Beach police officers responded to the resort and checked the perimeter, where they reported there were no suspicious items.
The officers evacuated resort guests and contacted the Anna Maria Island Monkey Bus company, which provided two buses for guests for about three hours. During that time, police searched the property, according to Chief Bill Tokajer.
The HBPD contacted the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, which provided a bomb detection canine unit and two members of its bomb squad to search alongside an HBPD officer.
The search found no explosive devices nor “any physical signs of suspicious activity on the property,” so resort guests were allowed to return to their rooms.
The investigation is ongoing.
Reporting a false bomb threat is a second-degree felony in Florida and prosecutors are not required to prove a defendant can carry out such a threat.
If convicted of a second-degree felony, punishment can include up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.