October 25

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Man Arrested for Calling in Bomb Threats to Local High School

• Fire department taking hard line with offenders

Shreveport fire investigators have arrested a local Shreveport man on charges of "communicating of false information of a planned arson." According to fire officials, Mario Brock, 19, of the 300 block of East 67^th Street called Captain Shreve High School seven times on October 8 and during two of those calls made threats in relation to a bomb at the southeast Shreveport school.

Fire investigator Fred Sanders following up on leads through interviews and subpoenaed phone records was able to connect Brock to the threats and make the arrest. Brock was taken into custody late Tuesday and booked into the city jail. If convicted, the arson charge carries a maximum jail sentence of 20 years and a substantial fine.

The latest arrest is just another example of the fire department taking a hard line with bomb threat perpetrators. "We take each and every threat very seriously and will use every available option at our disposal - subpoena phone records, speak to anyone with information, offer rewards, whatever it takes to go after these individuals who make these types of incidents." Last month following the terrorist attacks, Carl Williams, 25, a Casino employee was arrested for phoning in two bomb threats to his employer.