New Jersey Man Charged for Planting Device That Canceled St. Patrick's Day Parade
A 56-year-old man from New Jersey, Christopher Otis, has been charged with false public alarm, possession of a destructive device, and providing false information to a police officer. This follows an incident where Otis reported a suspicious device that led to the cancellation of a local St. Patrick's Day Parade in Keansburg. The device was found near the parade's staging area, prompting law enforcement to shut down the area as a precaution. A joint investigation by the FBI, Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, and Keansburg Police Department revealed inconsistencies in Otis' account of discovering the device. The device, described as having the power of an M-80 or cherry bomb, was not capable of remote detonation and posed no real threat to the public. Otis is currently held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution awaiting further court proceedings.