Man arrested after suspicious package shuts down California courthouse

Man arrested after suspicious package shuts down California courthouse

A man from Redondo Beach was arrested on Friday, Nov. 15 in connection with a suspicious package left at the Torrance Courthouse this week.

The 56-year-old man was arrested on the 2200 block of Belmont Lane on suspicion of using a destructive device, which was found at the courthouse on Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

A description of the device was not provided.

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Courthouse personnel were alerted around 7 a.m. to the package, located about 30 feet from the Superior Court main entrance on Maple Avenue. Torrance police and LACSD deputies initially responded, and were later joined by the FBI.

Video showed a bomb squad robot approaching and detonating what looked to be an orange inflatable item near the building’s entrance. Reports from the scene indicated that a note was attached to the item.

Officials declared the area safe around 10:15 a.m., but the courthouse remained closed until the following day.

The suspect, whose name was not released, was booked at the Torrance Police Department. Bail was set at $500,000.

A possible motive has not been disclosed.

City News Service contributed to this report.