Man Fakes Bomb Threat Near White House

A man was taken into custody Friday near the White House after he told a cabdriver that he was carrying explosives, authorities said.

No explosives were found, U.S. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said.

Donovan said the man, whom he declined to identify or describe, told the cabdriver that he was carrying explosives shortly before 10:30 a.m. while riding in the taxi near 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Donovan said the driver called the police, and the incident was handled by the Secret Service's uniformed division.

The man was taken into custody and officers searched him and the cab, finding no explosives, Donovan said. He said the man had not been charged with a crime as of Friday afternoon, adding that the matter "might be handled by the mental health system."