Smith Haven Mall store employee charged with falsely reporting threats, police say

A store employee at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove was arraigned Monday on charges of falsely reporting bomb and gun threats to police Sunday afternoon, Suffolk police said.

Tasia Morales, 28, of Bayview Avenue in Amityville, was charged with first-degree falsely reporting an incident, Suffolk police said.

Morales was arraigned Tuesday at First District Court in Central Islip where records show she was released without bail while a temporary order of protection was issued against her.

Roger Rothman, a Bohemia-based attorney who represented Morales at her arraignment, did not respond to a request for comment.

Fourth Precinct officers responded to the mall shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday after a text message was sent to 911 reporting a bomb inside the shopping center, authorities said. Several minutes later, another text message from the same phone number indicated a woman had a gun in the mall, police said.

Officers conducted a search of the mall and determined there was no threat to the public, authorities said. Following an investigation by Fourth Squad detectives, Morales was placed under arrest. 

Simon Property Group, which operates the Smith Haven Mall, did not respond to a request for comment.

Morales is due back in court Jan. 23.