Bomb Squad Gives All Clear On Abandoned Car

Prompted by a series of rambling phone calls left on the voicemail machine of Borough Hall early Wednesday morning, New Milford Police called in the Bergen County Bomb Squad to investigate an abandoned car in the Brookchester parking lot, police said.

According to Chief Frank Papapietro, Peter Stuht, 58, who resides at Brookchester, allegedly left three "rambling" voicemail messages between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. regarding an "abandoned car" in the Brookchester parking lot stating, "bomb sniffing dogs should be brought in before you move it."

"Any call suggesting there might be explosives prompts us to immediately call in the County's bomb specialists," Papapietro said.

The Bomb Squad performed a visual sweep of the car, followed by the bomb sniffing dog who detected no explosives, Sgt. John LaDuca of the Bergen County Bomb Squad said.

As is procedural in these cases, the bomb squad blew open the lock of the car's trunk to make sure that was all clear as well, LaDuca said.

Stuht, who was arrested by Detective-Sgt. Brian Long and police officer Keith Wester, has been charged with generating false public alarm, a third degree crime, Papapietro said. He has been released pending a first hearing in New Milford court before the case is sent to a grand jury, Papapietro said.

New Milford police located the unidentified owner of the car, a resident of the Brookchester apartment complex, who told police he no longer used the car and had just left it in the lot, police said.