Someone has claimed to be at Saddleback Memorial Center in Laguna Hills with a bomb, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department announced Sunday afternoon, but by 5:15 p.m., investigators had determined the threat was a hoax.
“Investigators have confirmed the reported bomb threat at Saddleback Hospital was false,” the Sheriff’s Department wrote on Twitter. “The area was searched and nothing suspicious was located.”
The bomb threat was announced at 3:45 p.m., and Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to the hospital to assist with the investigation, the department tweeted.
From shortly after when the threat was made, investigators thought it might be a the result of a “swatting call,” the Sheriff’s Department added.
Hospital security and the Orange County Fire Authority were also on scene to assist, authorities added.