A 46-YEAR-OLD man was arrested Sunday night in Garden Grove after he made “erratic posts” on Facebook and sought a firearm.

A potential tragedy was averted Sunday night in Garden Grove when police took into custody a man they feared might have a gun and “was full of rage and hate.”

According to Lt. Patrick Gildea, Mark William Flicker, 46, a resident of Garden Grove. is in Orange County Jail in lieu of $2 million in bail.

MARK WILLIAM FLICKER (GGPD photo).

The incident started Sunday when the GGPD received a call from a family member of Flicker, expressing concern about “erratic” posts he had placed on Facebook. Flicker had reportedly been drinking heavily and “had family issues.”

“Flicker did not specifically threaten any specific person, business or place,” according to Lt. Gildea, but there was a concern that he had ordered a weapon online and “that he was full of hate and rage.”

Police decided to seek a “Firearms Emergency Protective Order” to prevent him from having a gun until he could be evaluated. In the meantime, another member of Flicker’s family called the GGPD and said that the suspect was on his way to his mother’s house in the 12900 block of Sylvan St. in West Garden Grove to retrieve a firearm from a safe in his mother’s house.

As officers arrived there, Flicker walked out of the house and – unarmed – was taken into custody. Investigators found that he had allegedly tried to break into the safe, so he was arrested and charged with burglary and attempted grand theft of arms.

The protective order was obtained as well as a search warrant. His home was searched but no firearms were found. He was booked into jail in Santa Ana. GGPD and Orange County District Attorney investigators are continuing to examine the situation.