Pei-Sze Cheng reports on the New Years Day security scare at Smith Haven Mall.
A Long Island woman is facing charges after allegedly calling in false bomb and gun threats at a mall on New Year's Day, police said.
Tasia Morales texted bogus tips to 9-1-1 about woman with a gun at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, and even lied about seeing a bomb just after 4 p.m. Sunday, according to Suffolk County Police. Officers responded to the scene, but found no threat. No one was evacuated during the search for the made-up weapons.
"The exact wording was 'help there's a bomb at the mall near the Barnes & Noble,' as well as 'help, Alexa has a gun,' said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison.
Morales, a 28-year-old employee at one of the stores inside the mall, was later arrested and charged, police said. She was arraigned Monday morning and left court after facing a judge.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
"She was concerned that someone was coming to the store to confront her. She made this way of getting cops to respond by making a false report," Harrison said.
Morales did not answer questions from reporters. She was released on the condition she not return to work — but police said it was not the first time Morales has pulled such a stunt.
"We also have a couple other incidents where she looked like she was falsifying a report to a 9-1-1 operator via text, and we are going to look at those as well," Harrison said.
News
The other false reports were also made in relation to the mal, according to police. Morales is due back in court later in January.
