Police believe they have caught the person who called a bomb threat in to a Fort Smith Walmart last week, causing the store to be evacuated.
Laron Jonathan Parker, 26, was arrested by Fort Smith police on suspicion of obstructing governmental operations and four counts of communicating a false alarm. He remained in the Sebastian County Detention Center on Tuesday on $7,500 bond.
The Walmart on North 62nd Street was evacuated Thursday when police received a call from a man claiming there was a bomb inside a dumpster behind the store, according to the Fort Smith Police Department. The Fort Smith Fire Department and Bomb Squad investigated the incident and cleared the scene about an hour later.
Police responded Friday to a call claiming someone was breaking into cars near 5900 Kinkead Ave. Officers arrived and made contact with Parker, who lied about his name at the scene, police said.
Officers were able to determine the person who made the call also falsely called in a fire at the same location the night before, police said.
An officer comparing the calls identified Parker’s voice from the calls, according to the police department.
Parker was arrested and later charged with also calling in the Walmart bomb threat, following a police interrogation.
