Man Arrested After Wednesday's Miami Airport Bomb Scare: Report

Miami FL

14 January, 2021

5:34 PM

Description

MIAMI, FL — A California man has been arrested after a bomb scare shut down a portion of the Venetian Causeway and sent the Miami International Airport into lockdown mode Wednesday, Miami police said. Anand Raja, 46, of Redondo Beach faces felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a hoax bomb, according to a Miami police report from the incident. Police were initially called to the Marriott Hotel at 1633 N. Bayshore Drive after Raja checked out around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday and left behind 10 pieces of luggage. Hotel security inspected the bags and found a metal device, three throwing knives, and a brown box containing a stick of dynamite and a battery source, the police report said. Realizing that everything at the airport was closed and he was several hours early for his flight, Raja had a female friend pick him up and bring him to her apartment in the 500 block of NE 15th Street, the report said. Around 8 a.m., they got into an argument and she asked him to leave. He threatened her with a steak knife before leaving in an Uber ride share, reports said. He arrived at the airport around noon. Miami-Dade police, who have jurisdiction over the airport, were alerted to Raja's identity and detained him in American Airlines' departures terminal, reports said. He was later brought to a Miami police station. Because of the suspected explosives, the airport was locked down for several hours. American Airlines flight AA1344 was deboarded on the tarmac and it was found there were no explosives aboard, reports said. The Venetian Causeway between Miami and Miami Beach was also shut down for several hours Wednesday afternoon after Miami police were alerted to a piece of Raja's luggage possibly containing a bomb in the trunk of a vehicle in an apartment complex parking garage, police said.