It is the second criminal incident in Augusta related to Tuesday's attacks in New York and Washington, sheriff's Maj. Ken Autry said.

Motel clerk Deborah Capper received three calls at Courtesy Motel just after 7:30 p.m. from a man asking ''if the Muslims were there,'' Maj. Autry said.

''She responded that the motel was owned by Indians and there were no Muslims there. He insisted that Muslims owned it, and he wanted to talk to them. He told her that she better get all the people out because he was going to bomb the motel,'' Maj. Autry said.

The family-run hotel is owned by Bala Jerath, a native of India, said Investigator Calvin Chew.

The motel, in the 600 block of 15th Street, was not evacuated, but bomb-sniffing dogs were rushed to the motel to search the lobby and vacant rooms. Nothing was found, Maj. Autry said.

There was no indication that Wednesday's bomb threat was related to vandalism that occurred Tuesday at the Islamic Society of Augusta mosque off Pleasant Home Road. In that incident, a profane message to Osama bin Laden, along with the words ''coward'' and ''U.S.A.,'' were spray-painted on the center's brick sign. A front window was also punctured and cracked.

Maj. Autry said police have not been able to identify any suspects in either case. The bomb threat appears to be someone taking advantage of the national tragedy to cause problems, he said.

If someone is arrested, the sheriff's office will consult with the district attorney's office to see whether hate crime charges are warranted, he said.

Meanwhile, patrols have been beefed up at the mosque and the hotel, Maj. Autry said.

Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (706) 828-3851 or greg.rickabaugh@augustachronicle.com.