Police: Man arrested after trying to detonate 'inoperable' device at New Rochelle train station

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Monday, September 23, 2019
Man charged with trying to detonate device at train station
Police chargaed a man with making terroristic threats at the New Rochelle train station.

NEW ROCHELLE, Westchester County (WABC) -- A man is under arrest after police say he tried to detonate an inoperable device at the New Rochelle train station.

Officers responded to the station shortly after 2:30 p.m. Monday on a report of a man attempting to detonate a backpack he was wearing.

Police say 54-year-old Thomas Skoupa was seated on an outside bench, wearing a nylon pouch with wires protruding from the pouch and several cigarette lighters attached.

When officers approached him, police say Skoupa stood up, extended his right arm and activated a small flashlight, turning it on and off several times.

He was taken into custody.

The device was removed from his body and discovered to be a radio/Walkman wrapped in electrical tape connected with wires, and inoperable, authorities said.

Skoupa was charged with making a terroristic threat.

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