On January, 23, 2014, at 12:56 p.m., Champaign police officers were dispatched to the Hilton Garden Inn, located at 1501 S. Neil Street, for a bomb threat.
At approximately 12:54 p.m., an unknown man telephoned the hotel to report that a bomb had been placed inside the hotel. During the call, he also demanded money from hotel employees.
As a precautionary measure, a bomb-sniffing dog, provided by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, accompanied officers as they searched the building and surrounding perimeter for explosive materials and devices. None were found during the search.
No injuries were reported during this incident and hotel operations have returned to normal.
The Champaign Police Department will continue to investigate this case and urges citizens with information regarding this call to contact the Investigations Division at (217) 351-4545. Callers can also remain anonymous by:
- calling Crime Stoppers at (217) 373-TIPS or
- submitting tips online at www.373tips.com or
- texting the following: Tip397 plus the information to CRIMES (274637).