Sylmar man charged with reporting false threat to LA County Fair is expected in court

Sylmar man charged with reporting false threat to LA County Fair is expected in court

by City News Service

POMONA — A Sylmar man who allegedly e-mailed a false threat about a mass shooting at the Los Angeles County Fair is set to be arraigned Tuesday on a misdemeanor count.

Erik Jonathan Villasenor, 22, was charged Monday with making a false report of an emergency, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Villasenor allegedly e-mailed authorities Friday to falsely warn of an online threat of a shooting on Sunday, prosecutors said.

Pomona police Chief Michael Olivieri told reporters that the e-mail sent to the fair association warned that “someone was planning on doing a mass shooting Sunday at the fairgrounds.”

Villasenor subsequently admitted that it was a hoax, and that he had wanted to use it “as an excuse to his parents not to go to the fair,” according to the police chief.

If convicted as charged, Villasenor could face up to a year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

All credit goes to City News Service
Originally published on https://www.dailynews.com