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Twice since then, the operator of the Gateway switchboard has been horrified to hear a caller warning that some specific staffer "will be next." "The caller lied," Larsen adds wryly, for, as it turned out, he was next. One night in July the attacker put a fire device under the hood of Larsen's parked Toyota. The car was a total loss.
Yuba City authorities have placed guards on the Gateway center. But Larsen's landlords have issued him a 30-day eviction notice, and he has had difficulty hiring staffers for the center. Says Larsen: "Weirdo the Fireball Freak is trying to dictate to the community 'Stay away from Gateway Center.' And we can't survive if people are afraid." That fear is hard to avoid. One of the clients, Joyce, 27, who is recovering from a breakdown, admits she is "a bit nervous at night when my house squeaks." But then she adds, "As long as Mr. Larsen hangs in there, I sure as hell can."