Airport
74-year-old Canadian, Wegal Rosen, was arrested by the police and charged with making a false report concerning planting a bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction. Photo by Victor Freitas from Pexels

A Canadian man on his way to Toronto told an airline employee at the Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida Saturday that there was a bomb in his luggage instead of paying a bag fee that he disagreed with, prompting authorities to arrest the suspect, officials said.

Bomb Scare at Fort Lauderdale Airport

The Broward Sheriff's Office said on public records that the comment made by the Canadian Saturday morning forced authorities to evacuate three terminals and halt all the operations at the Fort-Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport for several hours.

According to NBC News, the 74-year-old Canadian, Wegal Rosen, was arrested by the police and charged with making a false report concerning planting a bomb, explosive, or weapon of mass destruction.

The complaint from the Broward Sheriff's Office stated that the 74-year-old Canadian was at the Air Canada counter on his way to Toronto when he engaged in a heated verbal exchange with an airline employee. The said dispute started with the "additional charges for baggage and the airline's no cash policy."

Moreover, the complaint mentioned that the airport employee advised Roden that he needed to proceed to terminal 3 from terminal 2 to purchase a Visa credit card which would suffice his carry-on fee. However, Rosen walked away without his luggage and when the employee told him that he needed to take it, the Canadian responded that there was a bomb inside the bag.

The comments of Rosen caused the evacuations on Terminals 2, 3 and 4, and a total shut down of airport operations for over 4 hours, Daily News reported. Based on the report from the sheriff's office, they listed Rosen's permanent residence as Toronto but also listed as a part-time resident in Deerfield Beach in South Florida.

When asked for a comment on Tuesday, the 74-year-old Canadian, Rosen could not be reached. Records from the Broward Sheriff's Office showed that he remained in jail early Tuesday afternoon on $20,000 bond. Jason Weiss, the attorney of Rosen, could not be immediately reached when also asked for comment.

Meanwhile, the Broward Clerk of Courts said that Rosen attended a magistrate hearing on Monday. Aside from having a bond set, the clerk's office stated that Rosen was told that he could not return to the Fort Lauderdale airport and he could not possess weapons or ammo.

According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Rosen faced up to 15 years in prison. The newspaper also mentioned that during the magistrate hearing, Rosen's attorney stated that his client said "the magic words you do not say."

The lawyer of Rosen also said that the Canadian was headed home to Toronto to see a cardiologist. The judge in the hearing told Rosen he could fly to Canada, but the judge emphasized that he would have to travel through other airports in Florida.

On the other hand, the 74-year-old Canadian man who owns a condo at Century Village in Deerfield Beach, was also arrested in 2019 after he got into a scuffle with an elderly woman in the retirement community.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by Jess Smith

WATCH: Thousands Forced To Evacuate Fort Lauderdale Airport Due To Bomb Threat - NBC News