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Man with mental disability charged in bomb threat called into convenience store
Posted: 03.06.2013 at 9:49 PM
Marcy Martinez

Marcy Martinez is an anchor and reporter for Action 4 News.

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47-year-old Rolando Rivas
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Mercedes police believe they have their man in a bomb threat incident that happened last week.

Problem is the suspect has a mental disability, according to his mother, and is not capable of coming up with such a threat.

It's a very serious matter that Mercedes police will not take lightly.

"There was apparently a bomb threat called into the Speedy Stop Friday and we had police and fire crews out there."

Chief Olga Maldonado says authorities traced the called to a number at Rosario Rivas' home.

"Police came to my house and said the call came from the phone at my house."

The elderly woman says her son Rolando Rivas uses the phone often.

"Oh yes he calls Dairy Queen, Dollar General, Whataburger. He wants to know how much the cokes cost."

She cannot believe that he would call in a bomb threat.

"No no no, he would never threaten anybody," says Rosario.

The 47 year old man went before Judge Ramon Alvarez who questions him as to whether he understands what he was being charged with.

The suspect looked confused and paid more attention to the cameras in the room. The judge asks him if he knew why he was there. Rolando began to cry saying "I just called them to ask for the cokes."

Rivas' told the judge he doesn’t have a job and just stays at home. His mom says he is a pleasant man who sits outside their home waiving at the neighbors and she believes police are mistaken. She cries when she says, "everybody knows him."

After consulting with Chief Maldonado, Judge Alvarez shows him some leniency giving him a personal recognizance bond.

He still had to go to the county jail to be processed and then would be released to his mother.

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