Colorado man arrested on suspicion of reporting false bomb threat in Prescott

Police arrested a Colorado man on Wednesday who was suspected of falsely reporting a bomb in Prescott last month, officials said.    

Someone called the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office dispatch center on July 26 and said, "There is a bomb in the building," before quickly hanging up, according to a statement from Yavapai County Sheriff Scott Mascher.

Two Yavapai County jails and the Chino Valley Police Department halted operations for several hours after the call was made because of the "broad, nondescript nature of the threat," Mascher said.

Deputies worked with the United States Marshals Service and Colorado police to locate and arrest Jake Ruether, 29, in Trinidad, Colorado, after investigating the phone used to make the call, Mascher said. Ruether previously lived in the Prescott area.

Mascher said officials discovered that Ruether made bomb threats to jails, police departments and courts in Kansas. He also threatened to shoot people and schools.

When officers knocked on Ruether's door, he attempted to flee inside his home. Officers chased him, and, after a short scuffle, they arrested Ruether. 

He faces charges of making terrorist threats, false reporting, use of electronic device to terrify and threatening. He is being held at the Las Animas County Jail in Colorado, and he is awaiting extradition back to Yavapai County on another warrant. 

Contact the reporter at helena.wegner@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @WegnerHelena.