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Police: No Suspects In Bomb Threat Made At Seagrape, Inn At Fairfield Beach

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Patrons at Fairfield's Seagrape Café and The Inn at Fairfield Beach were evacuated on Friday, Oct. 24, after Fairfield University received a call about a possible bomb threat at the two locations, police said.

Both the Inn at Fairfield Beach and the Seagrape Cafe were evacuated in the midst of a bomb threat made on Friday, Oct. 24, during Fairfield University's Alumni and Family Weekend.

Both the Inn at Fairfield Beach and the Seagrape Cafe were evacuated in the midst of a bomb threat made on Friday, Oct. 24, during Fairfield University's Alumni and Family Weekend.

Photo Credit: Salvatore Trifilio

At 10:01 p.m. Friday, Fairfield University’s dispatch in the Department of Public Safety received the threatening call, Fairfield Police said Monday.

The university received the call, processed all data associated with the call, and immediately reported it to Fairfield Police “in a matter of seconds,” according to John Richie, Fairfield University’s Department of Public Safety’s assistant director.

Officers who responded to the scene on Reef Road spoke with management at both establishments, police said, and explained the situation.

Police reports show The Inn at Fairfield Beach immediately complied with police and evacuated all guests from their rooms.

But management at the Seagrape did not immediately evacuate, saying they had not seen any suspicious persons throughout the day, police reports said. Seagrape officials said tight security at the doors during business hours led them to believe their establishment was safe and did not need to be evacuated, police said.

But during the conversation between officers and management at the Seagrape Cafe, an unknown person pulled the fire alarm and caused the evacuation, police said.

The owner of the Seagrape Cafe was unable to be reached for immediate comment.

Fairfield Police called in state bomb technicians and a bomb-sniffing K-9 to inspect the properties. No sign of a bomb was found at either establishment, and patrons of both establishments were allowed to go back inside, police said.

No suspects were identified during an extensive investigation over the weekend, police said. However, police said they determined that the owners of the number used in the bomb threat were not involved in the crime and had no knowledge their number had been used to call Fairfield University.

Police said the investigation was continuing. According to Richie, the matter is in Fairfield Police Department’s hands, but Fairfield University’s Department of Public Safety will assist if needed.

Melissa Sheketoff, marketing manager at The Inn at Fairfield Beach, said all 14 rooms of the inn had been rented out for the popular Alumni and Family Weekend at the university.

“After the summer, we really rely on the Fairfield University events to make money,” Skeketoff said. “[The bomb threat] definitely screwed us up and made guests worried.”

Two rooms were vacated after the bomb threat, costing the inn more than $530, she said.

Owner Candace Levine said she was upset the incident hurt her business and worried her customers. She has moved their credit to a future visit.

“We’ve never had this happen before,” Levine said. “I lost business, I lost money. I mean, do I have to go out and get terrorist insurance now?”

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