Man in custody over fake bomb, Walmart shoppers released

[TexasTowelie]

KEMAH -- A Sugar Land man is accused of creating a hoax bomb scare Saturday that forced authorities to bring out bomb disposal teams and lockdown a local Walmart for four hours.

Mehrzad Malekzadeh, 35, was arrested on class-A misdemeanor charges of making terroristic threats involving a fake bomb. He was being held in the Galveston County Jail on $5,000 bond.

Kemah police Sgt. Mark Hinson said a pipe bomb like device police found inside the man’s car was not a real bomb. He said the suspect had been taken into custody and was being examined by mental health authorities.

The situation unfolded Saturday morning, when police were notified about 9 a.m. of a suspicious man wearing a mask and wielding a knife in a car in the parking lot of the Super Target Store, 255 Marine Bay Drive.

More at http://www.galvestondailynews.com/free/article_77903db8-c7ff-11e3-84d6-001a4bcf6878.html .

[font color=green]There is an apparent error in the story. In two separate paragraphs it mentions that he incident occurred at a Walmart store, while in the fourth paragraph it mentions a Super Target store.[/font]

[TxDemChem]

1. I'm surprised that's only a misdemeanor

I would have thought it'd be a felony