Bomb at Caesars Fails to Explode but Caller Threatens Another One

A bomb that failed to explode was found by a maid at Caesars Palace Hotel-Casino, and a woman who called the resort later said, “The next one is going to be 10 times larger,” authorities said Thursday.

A note was found near the bomb demanding $200,000 in unmarked bills, or another device would be set, sources close to the investigation said.

The bomb was found on the fifth floor of a high-rise portion of Caesars Palace at 3 p.m. Wednesday by the maid, who inadvertently opened the package before calling security guards.

“It would have caused very serious damage if it had gone off as planned,” said an investigator who asked not to be identified.

A woman who called minutes after the bomb had been found told hotel switchboard operators, “The next one is going to be 10 times larger,” the investigator said.

Portions of the hotel tower were temporarily evacuated while the bomb was removed by the Las Vegas Fire Department’s bomb squad, resort spokesman Don Guglielmino said. The investigator said the bomb contained two to three pounds of explosive and was set to go off at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday.