By SDCN Staff
Carlsbad, CA–Carlsbad police arrested a 42-year-old San Marcos man after three items designed to resemble explosive devices were discovered outside a building Thursday morning in Carlsbad.
Officers and fire personnel responded at around 11:41 a.m. to the 5900 block of El Camino Real after an employee reported finding three suspicious items on the ground near the building’s entrance.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found three cylindrical tubes constructed to look like explosive devices. As a precaution, officers evacuated the surrounding area, secured the scene and closed Orion Road between El Camino Real and Faraday Avenue while the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Bomb and Arson Unit responded.
Sheriff’s investigators safely secured and examined the items and determined they were not explosive devices. The items were made from PVC pipes and had been constructed and labeled to resemble explosives.
During the investigation, officers identified 42-year-old Leobardo Alejandri Gomez of San Marcos as the suspect. He was located and arrested in connection with the incident.
Alejandri Gomez was booked on suspicion of placing or possessing a false or facsimile bomb with the intent to cause fear for another person’s safety.
Knowingly threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction with the specific intent to threaten.
The Carlsbad Police Department said it takes all bomb threats and reports of suspicious devices seriously. Even when suspicious items are ultimately determined not to be explosive, such incidents require a significant public safety response to protect the community and first responders.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Carlsbad Police Department at (442) 339-2197.
