Man held in threat against newspaper

A Desert Hot Springs man was arrested Monday on suspicion of making a terrorist threat after he called the Desert Sun newspaper and threatened to “blow up the building” because he did not receive his advertising coupons, police said.

Nicholas Karas, 65, said he made the statement, but denied having malicious intent, said Sgt. Mitch Spike of the Palm Springs Police Department.

After the newspaper received the call, officers searched the building for suspicious devices and used a specially trained bomb-detection dog.

No devices were found, police said.