West Vancouver police arrest teen girl in Caulfeild bomb threat hoax

West Vancouver police have arrested a 17-year-old Vancouver girl in connection with a bomb threat made last week to a Safeway grocery store in Caulfeild Village.

Police were called around noon last Thursday after someone phoned staff at the store to report a possible explosive device in the store.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss exactly what specifically what was said, but they did reference an explosive device being inside the store,” said Const. Kevin Goodmurphy, spokesman for the West Vancouver Police Department.

Police evacuated the grocery store as three bomb-sniffing dogs were called in to do a sweep of the store and check for any explosives.

All three dogs cleared the Safeway without finding anything suspicious.

Goodmurphy said subsequent investigation traced the phone call back to an individual who was later arrested.

Police will likely be recommending charges of mischief in relation to the bomb threat hoax, said Goodmurphy.

Goodmurphy said he’s not aware of any motive for the hoax and was also unaware of any connection between the teen and the grocery store or the local community.

“I'm sure it was quite frightening for some people but in this case, it was it was good news in that we were able to determine that it was a hoax entirely,” he said.