Man arrested at North Fort Myers 7-Eleven claimed he had a bomb, worked for ISIS, deputies say

Deputies arrested a man at a North Fort Myers gas station who is accused of making bomb threats while saying he worked with ISIS.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office arrest report, on July 3, deputies responded to the 7-Eleven located at 17930 North Tamiami Trail in reference to a person making bomb threats.

Deputies were flagged down by multiple witnesses, who pointed deputies toward a man on the south side of the building carrying a black backpack. The man, identified as Andrew Garcia, 44, was told to drop the backpack, which he did, the report said.

Garcia was then instructed to walk toward the deputies, and while he did, he pointed a strobe light equipped with a laser at one of the deputies, according to the report.

Deputies detained Garcia and began questioning witnesses. An employee of the 7-Eleven told deputies Garcia had come into the business and was told he couldn't enter with a backpack. The employee said Garcia then left the 7-Eleven and pointed a blue laser at a nearby woman.

Multiple witnesses told deputies Garcia had claimed to have a bomb in his backpack and was telling people he worked for ISIS. One witness told deputies that Garcia removed a black object from the backpack, displayed it, and then put it back in the backpack, saying, "I just saved your life," the report said.

Garcia's backpack was searched, and deputies found a black battery pack with a white cable connected to a white "Pocket Pet" robot, along with the strobe light-equipped laser, the report said. No bomb was found.

Garcia was arrested and faces charges of false report concerning a bomb and disorderly conduct.