A man with a history of mental illness who admitted to constructing a bogus bomb and placing it outside the St. Paul City Hall/Ramsey County Courthouse in 2021 has been spared prison time.

Dolores Christopher Alvarado, 32, pleaded guilty this month to felony threats of violence with intent to terrorize and was sentenced the same day to 23 months in prison, time that he already had served in custody. He was ordered to follow conditions of probation in an unrelated felony criminal case and of his current civil commitment for mental illness.

Dolores Christopher Alvarado (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Court records show Alvarado was wanted on a probation violation warrant when he placed the device outside the front doors of the building in downtown St. Paul just before 5 a.m. Dec. 20, 2021.

The building and area were evacuated and the St. Paul Police Bomb Squad was dispatched. The device contained various liquids, a pressure plate and wiring that closely resembled the appearance of an improvised explosive device. Authorities determined it was not explosive.

Alvarado, of St. Paul, was identified as a suspect after a report of disorderly conduct downtown later in the day and through video surveillance. After his arrest, he told authorities he placed the device near the building’s front doors along Kellogg Boulevard because he “had issues with Ramsey County,” the criminal complaint says.

Court records show he was found to be incompetent to stand trial on the charge in March 2022. Later that month, he was civilly committed due to mental illness and chemical dependency. He was recommitted for one year this past March.

He was found to be competent to stand trial on the charge this month. As part of his sentence, Judge Marta Chou ordered that he continue to participate in mental health and treatment programs, including therapy and any aftercare.

He must also remain on GPS monitoring and follow other conditions of supervised probation stemming from a 2011 Ramsey County conviction of third-degree criminal sexual assault of a minor. His probation runs through October 2028.

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