A man has been charged with public mischief and uttering threats in relation to a bomb threat against the U.S. consulate in Halifax that forced the evacuation of office towers and waterfront streets for several hours on Monday.

Ali Assakereh, 54, is being held in custody pending a bail hearing Wednesday, while police continue to investigate other potential criminal charges.

On Tuesday, Crown Attorney Brennan MacDonald said he requested a one-day adjournment before deciding whether to oppose bail in order to see whether police lay any additional charges.

“We need to let police complete their investigation and then we’ll know where we stand,” he told reporters outside the courtroom.

Charge documents filed in court say Mr. Assakereh is alleged to have misled police by reporting a bomb threat. He’s also accused of uttering a threat to the U.S. consulate of Halifax to destroy or damage property.

Mr. Assakereh was arrested in the suburban area of Clayton Park on Monday morning, after he allegedly made the bomb threat the previous evening.

Halifax Regional Police spokesperson Sergeant Michelle Dooks said she can’t comment on whether the incident could be linked to two recent shootings at the U.S. consulate in Toronto, given the continuing investigation.

A woman and a teenaged boy who answered the door at the home address listed on court documents for Mr. Assakereh identified themselves to The Globe as his wife and son but did not want to provide their names for safety reasons. They said they were shocked by the allegations and learned of Mr. Assakereh’s arrest when police arrived to search their Clayton Park townhouse for 12 hours on Monday. They said they arrived in Halifax two years ago from Malaysia but are originally from Iran.

Through an Arabic-language interpreter, Mr. Assakereh told the court he has evidence and documents to prove racism and sectarianism directed at his family that he wants to present. “We are being threatened by the law and the police officers and the security people and even the welfare income assistance are threatening my wife and family. So where should we go?” he said.

Justice Del Atwood suggested he speak to his lawyer, who was present on a video feed.

Halifax police said the U.S. Consulate General in Halifax reported a bomb threat around 6:15 p.m. on Sunday. Police said they identified the suspect and arrested him around 8:30 a.m. the next day. His vehicle was also found that morning, in the parking garage attached to the downtown office tower where the consulate is located. It allegedly contained a propane tank and other flammable materials. A suspicious bag was located nearby, police said.

Witnesses said several drugstore prescription bottles labelled with the accused’s name were also on the ground.

The bomb threat was the third recent incident involving a U.S. consulate in Canada, after shots were fired at the Toronto consulate in March and July. No one was injured in any of the incidents.

Last week, two teens were arrested and charged in relation to the July shooting. A teen has also been charged for the shooting in March. Police have said both cases are linked to gun-for-hire networks.

U.S. prosecutors and the FBI previously linked the March consulate shooting to an alleged Iraqi terrorist with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He was arrested in Turkey in May and remains in U.S. custody. Last week at a news conference Toronto police did not connect the man with the July shooting.

The teens allegedly involved in the July incident have been charged with a specific provision of the Criminal Code that prohibits attacks on “premises of internationally protected persons,” a United Nations designation for foreign dignitaries.

The U.S. consulate in Halifax, located in one of the two Purdy’s Wharf office towers on the waterfront, serves the four Atlantic provinces, as well as the small French islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

The U.S. Consulate General does not comment on matters of security, a U.S. embassy spokesperson said.