Scottsdale hotel clerk Wade Radzinksi phones in bogus bomb threat

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - A Scottsdale hotel clerk is in hot water after phoning in a bogus bomb threat Tuesday night.

Scottsdale police said Wade Radzinski, 25, of Chandler, called police from the Holiday Inn Express near Scottsdale Road and Gold Dust around 9:30 p.m. saying he was instructed to put cash in a bag and leave it outside the hotel or a bomb would be detonated.

"He said, 'If I see you on a cell phone, I'm gonna blow the place,'" Radzinski told the 911 operator.

When police arrived, Radzinski told officers he left $290 outside the hotel.

All available officers were called to the scene, a bomb-sniffing dog was requested and the 200 guests at the hotel were about to be ordered to evacuate.

Officers who were trying to determine if the threat was legitimate, asked if they could search Radzinski's car to rule him out as a suspect.

During the search, police found the money that was missing from the hotel. It was hidden in the car's gas cap cover, police said.

When the money fell out, court records state Radzinski said, "I don't know why I thought this was a good idea."

Radzinski was booked on theft and false reporting charges.

He told police he was going to use the money to buy gasoline for his car and to pay bills.