An Alabama man was arrested on suspicion of making threats toward a Catholic monastery in Silverado Canyon.
Joshua Michael Richardson is accused of visiting St. Michael’s Abbey on Tuesday, Aug. 26, and making threats, said Sgt. Gerard McCann with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Two days later, a priest reported the threats to the Sheriff’s Department along with emailed threats the church previously received, McCann said.
Authorities found and detained Richardson in his vehicle at a parking structure in the 1500 block of Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. Investigators believe Richardson drove from Alabama and arrived in California on Tuesday, McCann said.
Officials searched Richardson’s vehicle and found body armor, high-capacity magazines, brass knuckles and knives, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Richardson was then arrested and booked on suspicion of making criminal threats. He does not have a history of violent crime, McCann said.
The Sheriff’s Department couldn’t yet release further information on the extent of the threats against the church, McCann said.
Investigators don’t believe there is any connection between the threats and the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis that killed two children and injured more than a dozen other children and three adults.
Since the arrest, the Sheriff’s Department has increased patrol checks in the area around the monastery, and the church has also increased its private security, McCann said.
The Sheriff’s Department asked anyone with information about the case to call investigators at 714-647-7000 or leave an anonymous tip at 1-855-TIPS-OCCS.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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