Man arrested in connection with Miami bomb scare that closed Venetian Causeway, airport

Michelle Marchante

A California man was arrested in connection with a bomb scare that shut down the Venetian Causeway for hours on Wednesday and caused delays at Miami International Airport.

Anand Raja, 46, was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Thursday on charges relating to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and being in possession of a hoax bomb, records show.

Miami police found the Redondo Beach man in the departure terminals of American Airlines, according to Miami Herald news partner CBS4.

The investigation began Wednesday afternoon when police received reports of a suspicious package inside a car parked in the garage of The Venetia, 555 NE 15th St., the first building west of the Venetian Causeway, which connects downtown Miami and South Beach.

A fake bomb had been found in the car, Miami police spokeswoman Kenia Fallat told CBS4.

Security at the neighboring Marriott hotel had told police the day before they were concerned about the contents of a customer’s bag. The luggage, which also contained what appeared to be explosives, was Raja’s, Local 10 reported.

Area streets were closed for hours while robots with cameras examined the situation. The restaurant at the top of the building, Mike’s at the Venetia, was on lockdown, as were all the residents, the Miami Herald reported. Police eventually reopened the roadway around 9 p.m. after deeming the area safe.

A section of Miami International Airport’s departure level was also briefly closed during the investigation.

This article will be updated.

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