Santa Monica, CA police have found explosives and weapons and ammunition in a a car. The owner of the car said he was in town for the L.A. gay pride festival in.
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The police received a phone call about a suspected peeping tom and police officers responded. They discovered a man who said he was waiting for a friend and they inspected the car to find several weapons, ammunition and tannerite which can be used in pipe bombs. The man was arrested and said he was in town for the gay pride event this weekend.
A source told the L.A. Times that they believed there was no connection to the terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida at the gay night club and this arrest and the FBI is now handling the event.
Neighbors called police after he was spotted knocking on doors and “loitering in the area,” Rodriguez said.
A city official in West Hollywood also confirmed the arrest and stressed that officials were beefing up security at the gay pride event.
More from the L.A. Times:
“They found him with weapons that were very disconcerting,” said the source, adding officials are “taking the appropriate safety precautions.”
The parade comes hours after the attack at the Orlando club that killed 50 people. At least 53 were injured in the deadliest shooting in modern American history after a gunman took hostages. The gunman has been identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, a U.S. law enforcement official said.
One source in West Hollywood said there was discussion of calling off the parade but that officials decided to go forward, with heavy security including undercover officers in the crowd.
The sources spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
West Hollywood City Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath said in a statement that Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials are stepping up security efforts around Sunday’s parade and other festivities. But she said officials do not believe there is any threat around Sunday’s activities.
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