A 19-year-old from Pennsylvania is facing serious legal consequences after allegedly handing a stranger a bomb threat note along with a Starburst candy inside an Urban Outfitters store on Newbury Street in Boston. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on Sunday.
“It’s hard to believe that anyone would consider this a prank, especially in today’s world,” said Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden. “This kind of reckless behavior creates fear and has real consequences.”
The suspect, Lucas Lembck of Wayne, Pennsylvania, was arraigned Wednesday in BMC Central on a charge of making a bomb or hijack threat. Despite the serious nature of the allegation, Judge Richard Sinnott released Lembck on personal recognizance.
The incident occurred around 12:40 p.m. on March 18 when Boston Police responded to a distress call from Urban Outfitters, located at the corner of Newbury Street and Massachusetts Avenue.
According to prosecutors, the victim reported that a man approached him while he was shopping, handed him a yellow Starburst, and said, “It’s National Starburst Day; I want you to have this.” Along with the candy, the suspect allegedly gave the victim a note that read, “I have a bomb don’t say a (expletive) word.” When the victim looked up, the suspect had already disappeared.
Police used store security footage to identify Lembck, who was seen interacting with the victim. While speaking with officers, the victim spotted a man across the street and identified him as the suspect. When approached by police, Lembck initially denied being in the store but later admitted to handing out a note after being read his Miranda Rights.
“It was dumb,” Lembck reportedly told officers, insisting he thought the victim would recognize it as a prank. Upon searching him, police found paper matching the bomb threat note in his jacket pocket, along with multiple packs of Starburst candies.
Lembck was arrested without resistance and is scheduled to return to court for a pre-trial hearing on April 14.
