Hartsville woman faces charge in bomb threat prank

By: Jamie Rogers | SCNOW
Published: February 18, 2009

A Hartsville prankster ended up explaining herself to police after she called in a bomb threat to Burger King from the restaurant’s bathroom, Hartsville Police Chief Tim Kemp said.

Nachenga Johnson Hamiel, 26, of 1411 Carter Ave. is charged with threatening the use of a destructive device, Darlington County Detention Center bookings reports show.

The incident happened Jan. 21 at the Burger King on the 700 block of South Fifth Street.

Police said the suspect, who was working at the restaurant at the time, went into the bathroom, called her boss and told her there was a bomb in the building, Kemp said.

The suspect later told police she intended to tell her boss it was a prank but she’d already called police before the suspect could make it out of the bathroom to tell her, he said.

Several agencies responded to the scene, only to learn it was a joke, Kemp said.

Investigators believed the woman when she told them she was only having fun but were not amused and very upset she had wasted their resources and time, he said.

“Nevertheless, to make a point, we signed warrants on her,” Kemp said. “She made a bomb threat and it wasn’t funny to us.”

Police officers who could have been patrolling the streets were called to the scene and other citizens might have had to go without emergency services, he said.

The woman is no longer employed at Burger King, he said.

Hamiel turned herself in to police Tuesday. She was released from the Darlington County jail Wednesday after posting a $3,500 cash or surety bond.

“I’m not sure what the penalty is but she’s going to have to do some explaining to somebody,” the chief said.