Bomb Threat At Colts Neck Naval Base Prompts Lockdown

COLTS NECK, NJ - A female driver was apprehended Thursday evening after falsely stating that she had a bomb in her car while attempting to enter a Naval weapons base in Colts Neck, authorities said.

The woman, who was not identified by authorities, has been barred before for "previous attempts" to enter Naval Weapons Station Earle. At around 5:20 p.m. on June 17, she was being issued another ticket for attempted entry before she stated that she had a bomb inside her vehicle.

A shelter in place order was immediately issued in the vicinity of the gate and the driver was apprehended, authorities said in a news release. Responding explosive units found no evidence of a bomb and, as a result, the shelter in place order was lifted shortly after 9:30 p.m., according to the station's official Twitter account.

“I want to commend the rapid response and professionalism of my Navy Security, Naval Fire and Emergency Services, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Navy Emergency Management, NCIS, FBI and the Colts Neck Police Department,” said Capt. Ed Callahan, NWS Earle Commanding Officer, in a statement. “Because of the outstanding efforts of the entire team, we were able to keep our on and off base community safe while responding to this threat.”

The incident remains under investigation. The driver’s car, a 2019 gray Nissan Altima, remains at the scene as part of the investigation.