A 61-year-old man faces potential felony charges for building, installing and maintaining a booby trap containing shotgun shells at a Santa Monica home, authorities announced Monday.
SMPD officials said in a news release that Santa Monica Police Department officers responding to a “shots fired” call Sunday at a home in the 3300 block of Exposition Boulevard discovered the booby trap.
A neighbor who called 911 told police she also heard a male voice coming from the residence’s garage threatening to kill someone.
Inside the residence, police found two elderly women unharmed and a third person, now identified as Arthur Tabuchi, also unharmed.
“While searching the garage, officers observed a shotgun shell sitting on a workbench,” the release states. “The shell was equipped with a spring-loaded firing pin and a wire attached to the end of the pin and the garage door.”
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Police determined that the wire had been placed in such a way that when the door was opened, it would pull out the firing pin and fire a shell toward the door, and the home was immediately evacuated, while members of the Los Angeles County Bomb Squad were dispatched. additional bombs were removed from the house and garage. booby trap.
On the north side of the house, a second shotgun shell was located next to the pedestrian gate, with a similar firing pin and tripwire.
“This shell, which has been modified into a sound deflection device (not a projectile), was fired recently and is believed to be the source of the initial shot fire,” police said. Ta.
Bomb squad members were able to dismantle the shotgun shell in the garage, but no other live booby traps were found. After obtaining a search warrant for the building, detectives discovered other illegally obtained ammunition.
According to officials, Tabuchi was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.
“Felony charges related to the erection, installation, and maintenance of booby traps will be filed with the District Attorney’s Office by written complaint,” the release states.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact SMPD Det. McCoy (james.mccoy@santamonica.gov) or Sgt. Call Cooney at shgun.cooney@santamonica.gov or Watch Commander at 310-458-8427 24 hours a day.
