Man arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot up Del Mar City Hall

A San Diego man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of threatening to shoot up Del Mar City Hall, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Just after 4:30 p.m., deputies were dispatched to City Hall following a report of a suspected threat against the site, located in the Del Mar Civic Center on Camino Del Mar, Lt. Michael Davis said in a news release.

Davis said a caller “made alarming statements about ‘shooting up’ the facility.” The caller had already been speaking on the phone with a city staffer when the alleged statement was made, he said.

Deputies swept through the facility to check for the presence of threats, and city officials canceled a scheduled concert at the Civic Center. Assistant City Manager Clem Brown said City Hall was temporarily closed, employees were brought inside and the doors were locked for more than an hour as deputies made the security sweep.

Davis said deputies identified the suspect as a 42-year-old man, and he was arrested later that evening outside his Pacific Beach home. A registered firearm was located at the scene, as was a 15-round magazine, which is illegal in California.

The suspect was booked into jail on suspicion of two felonies — making criminal threats and possessing a large-capacity magazine.

“The City greatly appreciates the Sheriff Department’s prompt response and diligent work to bring the suspect into custody,” the city said in a statement posted to its website.