A 22-year-old California man was arrested Friday after he called in a phony mass shooting threat to avoid attending a county fair with his family, according to NBC News.
Police say Erik Villasenor emailed the Los Angeles County Fair Friday afternoon, writing: “Hello, I was told that someone was planning on doing a mass shooting on Sunday at the Fairgrounds. I just wanted to inform you guys already.”
Police arrested him at his Sylmar home on suspicion of making false threats.
Pomona Police Chief Mike Olivieri said Mr. Villasenor admitted to making the plot up to get out of going to the fair as his parents had planned.
“Though he’s 22, he felt that it was appropriate to send this threat and we believe it was with the intent that it would… spark some chaos and commotion,” Mr. Olivieri said. “It would be captured by the media and then he could use that as an excuse to his parents to not go to the fair.”
The police — who partnered with the FBI in this investigation — said they will seek reimbursement from Mr. Villasenor for the investigation.
This fake plot came months after a July attack at a garlic festival in Gilroy, Calif., where three people were killed and 15 others injured.
• Victor Morton contributed to this report
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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