A Redondo Beach man was arrested Friday in connection with a suspicious bag left outside a Torrance courthouse this week, authorities said.
The courthouse was evacuated around 7 a.m. Wednesday after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call about a suspicious package about 30 feet from the front entrance.
Officials said bomb technicians from the sheriff’s arson and explosives division deployed a robot to safely assess the package and render it safe. The area was declared safe at 10:15 a.m., but the courthouse remained closed for the remainder of the day as a precaution.
Sheriff’s detectives and Torrance police investigated the incident and identified the suspect, authorities said. It is said to be a 56-year-old man from Redondo Beach.
The man, whose name has not been released, was arrested Friday in the 2200 block of Belmont Lane on suspicion of using a destructive instrument, according to the sheriff’s office.
He was arrested by the Torrance Police Department and is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, authorities said.
A law enforcement source familiar with the situation told the Times that the package that arrived at the Torrance courthouse was “definitely intended to harm someone.” The official also said surveillance footage showed a man leaving behind a package with a note expressing a desire to cause harm, and claims the man had “killed someone before”. He said it was included.
Times staff writer Kelly Blakinger contributed to this report.
