Affidavit: Pueblo bomb threat suspect told police he was having mental heath crisis

Editor's note: Studies have shown that the vast majority of people with mental illnesses are not violent, and experts say most people who are violent do not have mental illnesses, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Court documents obtained by the Pueblo Chieftain on Wednesday describe the chaotic scene that arriving police officers found Tuesday when a man drove a car into the mall.

Police that same day arrested Mario Arellano, 28, whom they accused of crashing his vehicle into the Pueblo Mall food court and making a bomb threat after calling 911 and stating he was having a mental health crisis.

The timeline on the affidavit captures the time that it took the suspect to get into the mall, the police pursuit that followed and the verbal outburst the suspect reportedly had.

Officers respond to 911 call, hear gunshots

At 2:07 p.m. Tuesday, the Pueblo police communications center received a 911 call from an unknown man, who told dispatch that someone was driving around the mall in a black car and had shot at him, according to an affidavit authored by police. When asked for further information, the caller hung up.

At 2:13 p.m., dispatch called back, and a man answered and told dispatch that he was about to start shooting people in the mall.

"I think I lost my mind. I'm about to start murdering people," the suspect allegedly told dispatch.

"I think I finally snapped. I need a (Crisis Intervention Team) trained officer because I'm having a mental breakdown. I'm losing my mind," the suspect reported to police dispatch.

When officers arrived, they checked the area around the mall but did not find any shooting victims. As officers were checking the perimeter, an officer heard gunshots on the west side of the mall, according to the affidavit.

Officers engage in vehicle pursuit, Arellano crashes into mall

Officers noticed a silver Kia leaving the parking lot near where the gunshots were coming from, and police pursued the vehicle. The driver, later identified as Arellano, did not stop.

A sergeant ordered the pursuit to be called off due to numerous people in the parking lot and around the mall, and officers briefly stopped the chase. However, several seconds later, a captain countermanded the sergeant, ordering the pursuit to be continued due to the "totality of the circumstances," according to the affidavit.

Pueblo police resumed pursuit. One officer noticed smoke coming from the driver's side window of the Kia and heard popping sounds.

An officer on foot near the mall food court entrance said that he observed Arellano drive toward several people in the parking lot near the mall entrance. He then pulled his Kia onto the sidewalk and drove toward several people standing on the sidewalk, as well as several officers on foot in front of the mall.

Officers moved out of the way, and Arellano drove toward the entrance and into the food court. The officer reported in the affidavit that Arellano had his window rolled down, and heard him say "I'm going to kill innocent people."

Arellano crashed through the glass doors at the entrance of the food court, and stopped after hitting a half-decorative wall with tile, metal and drywall, according to the affidavit.

Arellano refused multiple verbal commands to get out of his vehicle, according to the affidavit, and attempted to roll up the driver's side window. Officers "breached the window," according to the report.

As officers were trying to take Arellano into custody, he began yelling that he "didn't want a white person to touch him," and that he "hated white people." He also said he had planted bombs around the mall, and was planning to blow the mall up.

He was escorted back to a marked police vehicle but allegedly resisted efforts to place him in the vehicle. He continued to make threats to officers and civilians and said officers were "lucky he wasn't holding his gun." Arellano had to be forcefully placed inside the police car, the affidavit said.

Police noted that numerous people were inside the food court when Arellano crashed into the building. One in particular requested medical attention for a child because she had to "aggressively" grab the child to get out of the way of Arellano's car as he drove into the mall.

Material damage to the mall was valued at $125,000, the mall's general manager told police.

Officers observe a pressure cooker device, Arellano makes bomb threat

Officers noticed what appeared to be a pressure cooker in the rear seat of the Kia Soul driven by Arellano. Given the threats made by Arellano about bombs in the mall, the building was evacuated, including surrounding businesses and the parking lot and the Pueblo Metro Bomb Squad was called to the scene.

A bomb squad member spoke with Arellano, who at that time was in the back of a police vehicle. Arellano allegedly told the bomb squad member that his entire car was a bomb.

Arellano said he controlled the alleged planted bombs with a cell phone and was hooked up to a heart monitor that could also set the bombs off. Arellano alleged he had a "team of people around the world" who would "wreak havoc" if anything happened to him.

Because the investigation is ongoing and because Arellano has not been charged with a crime in connection to some of the allegations in the affidavit, the Pueblo Chieftain is not publicizing those allegations.

The bomb squad conducted an investigation of the Kia and determined there were no explosives inside the vehicle.

Arellano was taken to Parkview Medical Center for further evaluation due to the car crash. En route to Parkview, Arellano spit on two officers, and bit an officer when she placed a hand over his mouth in an attempt to stop him from spitting.

Arellano allegedly told the officer that she was "lucky he didn't bite her finger off." Puncture wounds were observed on her pinky from the bite, according to the affidavit.

Arellano claims he was "off his medication" and having hallucinations at the time of incident

When Arellano was cleared from Parkview, he was taken to the police station, where he was formally interviewed. Police asked Arellano about statements made on scene that he wanted to kill people.

Arellano reportedly said he believed he had made those statements, but that he was "off his medication" and "says a lot of things he doesn't mean when he is not taking his medication."

He said that when police showed up to the mall, he got scared and drove his vehicle away from people and into the mall. He said that he "hadn't slept in several days and was hearing voices and having hallucinations."

Pueblo police allege that Arellano has an "extensive criminal history," including convictions for several counts of assault, one count of burglary, and one count of arson of a public building that endangered life. Police noted Arellano is flagged in the police department database as having emotional and behavioral issues with violent tendencies.

Police arrested Arellano on suspicion of two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault in the second-degree on a peace officer, and criminal mischief at a value of $100,000 or more. He is set to make an official first appearance before District Court Judge Amiel Markenson on Nov. 30.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.

More public safety news: Pueblo Mall reopens, bomb threat suspect identified by police

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him X, formerly known as Twitter @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo affidavit sheds light on suspect accused of bomb threat at mall