Multiple locations across Oskaloosa received bomb threats within moments of each other Tuesday morning, sending police scrambling to check buildings before determining the warnings were a hoax. By that evening, a 33-year-old Des Moines man was behind bars nearly 50 miles away in Waukee, facing eight criminal counts tied to the scare.
Threats Hit Around 8 A.M.
According to oskynews.org, the threatening communications began at approximately 8:05 a.m. Tuesday and targeted locations throughout Oskaloosa. As reported by KCCI, Oskaloosa police said several reports of bomb threats came in shortly after 8 a.m. Officers conducted safety checks at the affected sites, and no explosive devices were located, police said.
Investigators determined the multiple threatening communications originated from the same source, according to the same report. That discovery pointed them toward Joseph Williams, 33, of Des Moines, whom investigators identified as the person believed responsible for the communications. Williams was located in Waukee and taken into custody with assistance from the Waukee Police Department, the outlet noted. He is now being held at the Dallas County Jail.
Felony and Misdemeanor Charges Filed
Williams faces a substantial set of charges stemming from the alleged threats. Per KCRG, he was charged with five counts of false report of an explosive or incendiary device, a Class D felony, along with three counts of harassment in the first degree, an aggravated misdemeanor. Oskaloosa police have said the investigation remains ongoing, and officials noted that the charges are accusations — Williams is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Not an Isolated Tactic
False bomb-threat arrests have surfaced elsewhere in recent weeks. In Colorado Springs, police arrested Kevin Holod and Tamara Beasley earlier this month after accusing the pair of calling in false reports of explosives outside a business, according to KRDO. That case began with a report of a man handling items identified as dynamite sticks, wires and batteries near Briargate Boulevard and Lexington Drive, officials said. Police there ran a full sweep with an explosives-detection K9 and found no explosives, hazards or suspicious people before arresting Holod and Beasley on felony false-reporting charges.
No such device turned up in Oskaloosa either, but the disruption to a Tuesday morning was real for anyone near the targeted locations. With Williams now in custody and the case still developing, police have not indicated when additional details might be released.
