486. Holly Hill woman calls in bomb threat from work resulting in evacuation; tells cops she 'needed a break'

 Latisha Anne Vester, 33, of Daytona Beach, who was an employee of Metra Electronics in Holly Hill,  was charged March 30, 2012, with falsely reporting a bomb threat where she worked.

HOLLY HILL -- An employee of Metra Electronics told investigators she called in a bomb threat that forced the evacuation of 300 co-workers because she "needed a break."

This bizarre story comes in at No. 486 in Headline Surfer's countdown of the Top 500 stories as part of its 5th anniversary celebration.

The bomb threat was called in prior to the day shift and left with the human resources department, which in turn notified police and 300 people were evacuated at 9 a.m., March 30, including the caller, identified by police as 33-year-old Latisha Anne Vester, who worked in Metra Electronics' paint department.

Police Chief Mark Barker said Vester admitted making the call, saying she "needed a break" from work.

"As far as her explanation -- nothing, and I mean nothing -- surprises me anymore," the Holly Hill police chief told Headline Surfer.

Police Chief Mark Barker, shown here, said Vester admitted making the call, saying she "needed a break" from work. 

"As far as her explanation -- nothing, and I mean nothing -- surprises me anymore," the Holly Hill police chief told Headline Surfer.

Vester pleaded no contest in August and was sentenced to two years of probation.

Holly Hill Police Investigators were able to trace the telephone number from which the threat was received to an employee of Metra Electronics, later identified as Vester. She was assigned to the Meta Electronic's Paint Department and was at work when the voice mail was received. She had been evacuated with other employees when contacted by police.

Vester’s cellular telephone and employee identification badge were located at Holly Hill City Hall where she had attempted to discard them prior to an interview with detectives, Barker said.

The bomb threat incident required the resources of the Holly Hill Police Department, Holly Hill Fire/Rescue Department, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Votran bus lines, and Volusia County Central Communications. Traffic in the area was detoured for approximately three hours.