UPDATE: One arrested for bomb threat at UMES

Police say they have made an arrest, in connection with a bomb threat that evacuated a local university last month.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore Police say they have arrested 26-year-old Maximino Melendez, of Salisbury, and charged him with two felony counts each of making a threat of arson, and a false statement of destructive device.

Officials say Melendez was arrested at the office of his probation officer in Salisbury, around 8:30 AM Thursday. Officials say he is being held in jail without bond, pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Friday.

Police say they have linked Melendez to a July 6 bomb threat that was called into Somerset County emergency services, saying that an explosive device was in or around UMES’ new engineering and aviation science building. The building is under construction on the east side of campus.

The construction site was evacuated, along with another nearby building. Investigators, with the help of bomb sniffing dogs, searched, and eventually cleared the area and apparently found no explosive devices. Officials say construction was disrupted for much of that day, and high school students participating in a popular summer work-study program held on the west side of campus, were sent home early.

UMES Police say they used electronic tracking data, which led to investigators to identify Melendez as the prime suspect. Melendez was apparently a laborer at the UMES construction site; a job that was apparently arranged by the Salisbury office of Labor Ready, a company that supplies temporary employment.