Hermiston man arrested after bomb hoax

Police arrested a Hermiston man accused of putting a fake bomb in a garbage can.

The East Oregonian reports police were dispatched Monday after a garbage man found a cardboard box with the words “this is a bomb” written on it. A bomb squad discovered a beer bottle inside the box.

Police charged 23-year-old David Ponce with disorderly conduct and possession of a hoax destructive device. Ponce told investigators he was trying to play a joke on a relative, police said.

Police Chief Jason Edmiston said Ponce has been arrested or cited dozens of times in recent years. Given all that contact with police, the chief said: “We would hope some common sense would come into his decision making on what is acceptable behavior and what is not.”

This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 8:59 PM with the headline "Hermiston man arrested after bomb hoax."