Man arrested in LAX bomb-threat scare

A man has been arrested after walking up to officers on the upper-level road at the west end of Los Angeles International Airport and claiming he was a terrorist and had a bomb, authorities said.

The upper- and lower-level roads were immediately shut down after the man made the threat outside the Tom Bradley International Terminal, authorities said. Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad officials examined a black bag the man was carrying and described its contents as "junk."

Traffic flow on the upper and lower roadways of the Central Terminal area remain temporarily suspended by LAX Airport Police, authorities said. Traffic in front of Terminals 1 and 2 on the north side and Terminals 5, 6, 7 and 8 is unaffected.

Departing aircraft were held at their gates in Terminals 3 and 4 and at Bradley, airport officials said. Despite earlier reports that airline schedules were not interrupted, officials said six flights were delayed at the terminals because passengers had difficulties reaching them.

Passenger Kevin Andurs said he was scheduled to leave for Toronto at 12:30 p.m. But he said he missed his flight trying to navigate the airport's "mile-long lines" created by the bomb scare.

Actor William Petersen, who plays the head investigator on the TV show "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," was waiting at the American Airlines terminal to depart on a flight as police investigated the scene. He said most travelers appeared calm.

"Whenever I'm in this situation, there's usually a set," Petersen said.

richard.winton@latimes.com