Utah man upset over potential bill threatens to blow up hospital, police say

SPANISH FORK, Utah — A Spanish Fork man was arrested Friday after police say he made bomb threats against a hospital and its ambulance bay because he didn’t want to be billed for ambulance transportation.

The 45-year-old man called an undisclosed hospital on Friday and “made threats to blow up the hospital and throw spikes in the ambulance bay” because “he was unhappy his wife would be transported in an ambulance,” according to a police booking affidavit.

A security guard told the man to stop making threats and then contacted police. When a Spanish Fork police officer contacted the man, “he stated he had indeed made the threats. (He) stated he did not want the ambulance bill and if he were to receive a bill, he would blow up the hospital. (The man) informed me he is a painter and has access to explosive materials,” the affidavit states.

The man also threatened to “blow up his truck in front of the hospital,” according to police.

The officer told the man to stop making threatening phone calls. But just a short time later, after the man was told that his wife was indeed going to be transported in an ambulance, he again threatened to “blow up the ambulance that transports his wife,” the affidavit states. It does not indicate where the wife was going to be taken.

Police went to the man’s house and arrested him for investigation of making a threat of terrorism, assault on a health care provider, disorderly conduct and electronic communication harassment.