Authorities on Friday identified a Rogers man as the person they say dropped a backpack under a van in a downtown Bentonville parking lot, spurring a bomb scare closing part of Central Avenue for more than an hour.
Thaddeus Mark Gayer, 27, was arrested Thursday in connection with possession of drug paraphernalia and was being held Friday in the Benton County Jail, said Keshia Guyll, spokeswoman for the Benton County Sheriff's Office.
A county employee eating lunch in her car saw Gayer drop the backpack under a van in the parking lot across the street from the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. The woman alerted deputies who began an investigation, Guyll said.
Guyll said Friday that Gayer was the man deputies linked to the backpack through surveillance footage. Gayer was late for court Thursday and left the backpack under the van, Guyll said.
The Bentonville Bomb Squad was called about 1:10 p.m., according to Bentonville dispatch logs.
Bentonville police and Benton County deputies closed East Central Avenue leading into downtown, asked people in the administration building to stay away from south windows and stretched crime scene tape across Dave Peel Park.
Bomb squad technicians X-rayed the bag and determined it posed no danger, said Gene Page, spokesman for Bentonville police.
Deputies then searched the backpack and found drug paraphernalia and a full syringe they plan to test for drugs. If the syringe tests positive for drugs, Gayer also will be booked under an additional count of possession of a controlled substance, Guyll said.
A previous bond was revoked during his court appearance Thursday and he was taken into custody, Guyll said. Gayer had new bond of $15,000, according to court records on Friday.
Gayer was scheduled for court Thursday on a May arrest near Interstate 49 and New Hope Road in Rogers in connection with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested Jan. 25 in connection with failure to appear in that case after several missed court appearances, according to court documents.
In a separate case, Gayer was arrested Feb. 5 on Olive Street in Rogers in connection with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.
NW News on 02/13/2016