Man accused of making false bomb threats at Eugene Walmart, Target stores

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man was arrested this week after allegedly carrying out “unfounded” bomb threats at two shopping centers in Eugene, authorities said.

According to the Eugene Police Department's Facebook page, 36-year-old Matthew Luke Fernandez was arrested on Tuesday at his residence and faces multiple charges, including improperly calling 911. 

Fernandez is accused of making multiple bomb threats in late April and early May at a Walmart store and a Target store. Fernandez allegedly “made at least one of the calls from inside the store,” police said. 

In their post, Eugene PD elaborated on the timeline of events, including that the stores were evacuated and searched by officers each time.

“The series of bomb threats began at 6:38 p.m. on April 29 when Eugene Police got a call of a threat at Walmart, 4550 W 11th Avenue. The threat was unfounded. Then, at 9:52 p.m. on May 2, another call came in with a Walmart bomb threat and an officer was already in the area, having already dealt with a bomb threat made for Target, also on W.11th. That call had come in around 8:45 p.m. and was unfounded. As a precaution in these cases, the stores evacuated, and officers conducted searches," police said.

Police added that Fernandez previously made “false reports of shootings."

Fernandez was booked into the Lane County Jail and charged with three counts of improper use of 911, three counts of first-degree disorderly conduct and being a fugitive from justice stemming from an outstanding felony warrant in Colorado.