Christian Lamberty, 23, of Elizabeth is charged with making a false public alarm and making terroristic threats after he allegedly called police to report a gunman in the Argix Direct warehouse on Halloween, according
by Charles W. Kim, Packet Media Group
SOUTH BRUNSWICK — Police didn’t find anything funny about a prank 911 call reporting a gunman at a local warehouse. Now the caller is facing charges.
Christian Lamberty, 23, of Elizabeth is charged with making a false public alarm and making terroristic threats after he allegedly called police to report a gunman in the Argix Direct warehouse on Middlesex Center Boulevard around 9:30 p.m. on Halloween, according to police.
Police said a 911 call came into the dispatch center claiming a Hispanic male named Christian, who was upset with his shipping manager, had a gun in his waist band.
According to a recording of the 911 call, the caller, who identified himself as “Raoul,” told the dispatcher that the gunman was named Christian and was dressed all in black near the loading docks.
Police surrounded the 200,000 square-foot warehouse that employed about 100 people at the time of the call, and did not see a problem.
According to police, officers on the scene detained and interviewed employees who had come out of the building for a break, but none knew of any issues inside the warehouse.
A manager of the business gathered all of the employees at one location while police began a sweeping search to isolate and contain the reported gunman.
The caller disconnected the call after being asked to come outside of the building and meet with officers at the scene, police said.
Police said, however, they were able to track the phone to Mr. Lamberty.
At about that time, police said they were made aware of a man in the cafeteria that was acting “odd” and fit the description of the alleged gunman.
Police searched the man, who later turned out to be Mr. Lamberty, and found no weapons.
According to police, Mr. Lamberty said he was a temporary employee at the warehouse for a short time through an employment agency.
Once confronted about ownership of the phone that had placed the call, Mr. Lamberty reportedly admitted to police that he had made the prank call “for fun.”
He was arrested and processed at South Brunswick Police Headquarters and then taken to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick in lieu of $22,500 bail, police said.