EX-CON ARRESTED FOR HOSPITAL THREATS

Bakersfield Police have arrested a man for making two false active shooter reports at local hospitals, including the one which shut down Memorial Hospital on Tuesday.

Officers say 46-year-old ex-con Mario Thompson had a security badge, pellet gun, pepper spray, and an illegal prescription medication on him and told security guards he was a police officer, while telling law enforcement he was a security guard. They say he tried to insert himself into their investigation at the hospital on Q and 34th streets.

He’s also accused of calling in the false alarm that closed Mercy Southwest four months ago.

Kelli Pierce