IE man charged with making 7,000 nuisance phone calls to sheriff's dispatchers

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- A Rialto man is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly making thousands of nuisance phone calls to San Bernardino County sheriff's dispatchers, potentially interfering with personnel involved with emergency services.

Luke Edward Dumas, 48, is facing two misdemeanor charges related to approximately 7,000 nuisance phone calls. Officials say the calls were not made to 911 dispatchers, but to their aviation division which deals with disseminating information to aviation personnel as well as search-and-rescue teams.

"We were receiving upwards of 80 calls an hour from this guy sometimes," said Mara Rodriguez, spokesperson for the San Bernardino County sheriff's department. "We didn't link them to any emergency or any real incidents. A lot of them were continuous hangups that we received."

Rodriquez said the suspect would curse and use profanity toward department personnel.

"We never consider these types of calls as being funny, as being a joke, we don't take it lightly."

Dumas is also facing charges for an incident where he is accused of using a laser pointer to distract a sheriff's helicopter.

In a statement to Eyewitness News, Sheriff Shannon Dicus said mental health may have been a factor with the suspect's actions.

"Undoubtedly, we have a mental health crisis in all our communities," said Dicus. "When someone suffering from a mental illness or mental health disorder does not receive the necessary help, it impacts our society in many ways, some of which can interfere with public safety services.

"As for the investigation involving Mr. Dumas, the case was filed with the San Bernardino County District Attorney's office. I hope he is held accountable for his actions and receives the help he needs."