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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Three Moses Lake Brothers Held In Interstate 90 Bomb Prank

From Staff And Wire Reports

Three Moses Lake brothers are being held pending charges after the group was spotted driving on Interstate 90 Wednesday with a sign saying there was a bomb in the car.

Washington State Patrol withheld the names of the 21-, 19- and 15-year-olds while awaiting formal charges from the Spokane County prosecutor’s office.

A caller on a cell phone at the Sprague Lake rest area told WSP that the boys had crafted the sign, stuck it in the back window of their Subaru and headed west on I-90 about 11 a.m., WSP Sgt. Chris Powell said.

Five troopers and a speed-enforcement aircraft were sent to track the boys down, who were headed to Spokane. Their mother, grandfather and at least one other passenger were in another car in front of them, unaware of the sign.

Although troopers found no bomb, Powell said WSP treated it as a serious threat.

“There was no way to know what was happening,” Powell said. “This could have conceivably closed the freeway. It took a lot of resources.”