A 38-year-old Alabama man was arrested after investigators say he drove across the country and threatened a Catholic monastery in Silverado Canyon he had already emailed threats to, authorities said.
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 abbey 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, Aug. 26, McCann said.
Officials searched Richardson’s vehicle and found body armor, high-capacity magazines, brass knuckles and knives, the Sheriff’s Department said.
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