Man In Custody After Faking Bomb Threat In Seal Beach, Police Say

SEAL BEACH, CA — One man was arrested after he made a false bomb threat and pulled the fire alarm at an Eaves apartment complex in Seal Beach Sunday morning, triggering evacuations and a bomb squad response, Seal Beach Police Department Lieutenant Nick Nicholas said.

The man was identified by authorities as 40-year-old Walter Dale Hunter, a Seal Beach resident. He was arrested for making a false bomb threat and causing a false fire alarm, authorities said.

The incident occurred on Sunday at around 11:30 a.m., when Seal Beach police officers responded to a call of a structure fire at the Eaves apartment on 333 First St. After arriving on scene, officers quickly found that while the fire alarm was sounding, there was no fire.

While checking out the apartment, officers found a man who they believed intentionally pulled the fire alarm. Authorities said that they detained the man, who was later identified as Hunter, and continued to check the apartment for signs of fire.

Officers soon discovered a "suspicious package" directly in front of Hunter's apartment door. Authorities reported that Hunter told officers the package was "a gift for the bomb squad."

The suspicious package triggered evacuations at the Eaves apartment complex, as well as evacuations at the two neighboring apartment buildings.

Pacific Coast Highway was also closed for roughly one hour while the buildings were evacuated.

The circumstances also prompted a response from the Orange County Fire Authority and the Orange County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad, as well as additional back-up from neighboring cities such as Los Alamitos and Huntington Beach.

Ultimately, investigators found that the package was not a bomb. Authorities also checked Hunter's apartment and found no hazardous items or other people inside.

Hunter was arrested and later booked at the Orange County Jail.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Seal Beach Police Detective Sergeant Chris Hendrix at chendrix@sealbeachca.gov or 562-799-4100 ext. 1112.