Bomb threat causes evacuation at Holmes beach resort
HOLMES BEACH – Police aren’t sure whether Bobby Entrekin is a disgruntled former guest, employee or even the name of a real person, but a man going by this name called in a bomb threat Saturday, Oct. 22 that resulted in the evacuation of everyone at the White Sands Beach Resort.
It began when Police Communications Officer Christopher Liotti received a call from a male subject who identified himself as Bobby Entrekin. The subject said
he had planted explosive devices in planters near the pool area of the White Sands Resort, and additional explosive devices around other areas of the property that would detonate 30 minutes after his call to police. He also said police would not be able to find the devices.
Liotti said the man sounded agitated and said he was upset with “Cubans” in the area. According to the police report, the phone number came from an area code in California, and the caller said he currently lived in Shreveport, Louisiana, but that could not be verified.
At 1:47 a.m., Holmes Beach Officer Ryan Welch and Sgt. Mike Walker responded to White Sands, but parked their patrol cars in the 200 block of 66th Street, out of view of the resort. Protocol for bomb threat-related incidents requires officers responding to the area to turn off their radios, so the officers did and then checked the perimeter of the area for suspicious items, none of which were found. The decision was then made to evacuate the property for the safety of the guests.
“Once the guests were evacuated, they were led to 65th Street near the intersection of Holmes Boulevard,” Welch said in his report. “Officer Bennett remained with the guests for the duration of the call. The Monkey Bus was called and asked to respond to provide the guests with a place to sit and stay warm. The Monkey Bus staff accepted and arrived on scene with two buses near the intersection of Holmes Boulevard and 65th Street.
After guests were safely evacuated, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) brought in their K-9 lieutenant and two other members of the bomb squad, who did a search of the property and declared it “all clear.” There were no signs of explosives detected, and
it was determined the incident was a false threat. Security cameras located around the property also yielded nothing suspicious. Police have no suspect at this time, and no arrest has been made or charges filed against any individual.
