JIA bomb scare suspect given million dollar bond

The Jacksonville man accused of bringing what was supposed to be a bomb inside Jacksonville International Airport, shutting the facility down for five hours, is being held on a one million dollar bond.

39-year-old Zeljko Causevic appeared for the first time in front of a judge today at the Duval County Pre-Trial Detention Facility.  The judge read the charges facing Causevic, which include “manufacture, possess, sell, deliver or mail hoax bomb” and “false report about planting a bomb or explosive”.  Bond for each charge was set at $500,003.

The police report obtained by WOKV says Causevic admits to walking up to the security gate and saying he had a bomb. He described the device as a luggage scale with two flat batteries, a microchip, and a remote detonator. The report says he told investigators it was supposed to be a bomb but wasn’t.  Police rendered the device which they described as “destructive” safe.

Causevic will next appear in court on October 23^rd.

A second man arrested at JIA yesterday also appeared in court today.

35-year-old Manuel Rivera is charged with resisting arrest without violence.  Shortly before the bomb scare, Rivera was contacted by JAA police over what they call suspicious behavior.  He later tried to blend in with other passengers and, the report says when he was eventually caught by an officer he became defensive, dropped the bag he was carrying and pulled away. He was eventually restrained and taken in to custody, and the bag he dropped was determined not to be a threat.

Rivera is contesting the charge against him. His public defender told the judge they do not believe there is probable cause to support the charge.  He remains in custody pending a hearing scheduled for 1:30 PM tomorrow.

The local FBI office has also released new details on a third incident which happened at the same time as the other two.  JAA police were informed about a disruptive passenger on an out-bound flight. That was investigated, however the passenger in question was not arrested.

The FBI says because these three events happened concurrently, they investigated the possibility of a larger plot, but they have determined the events were not related.