Man arrested after climbing Santa Monica Ferris wheel and claiming he had a bomb
10/10/2023 4:33 pm PDT
LOS ANGELES (TCD) -- Police shut down the world-famous Santa Monica Pier this week after a man climbed on the Ferris wheel and made multiple bomb threats.
On Monday, Oct. 9, at 2:35 p.m., Santa Monica Police Department officers received a call about a "distraught" male scaling the Ferris wheel and claiming he had a bomb in his backpack. Police located 37-year-old Juan Gonzalez as he was about two-thirds up the ride. Gonzalez reportedly wore steel supports to help him climb.
Police said 10 riders were on the Ferris wheel at the time of the incident. Officials stopped the ride, and Santa Monica Fire Department rescuers helped bring the other riders down to safety. The department’s Crisis Negotiation Team came to the scene and communicated with Gonzalez to come down.
According to Santa Monica Police, Gonzalez "was very agitated and upset and continued to make bomb threats to the officers negotiating with him."
After an hour, he reportedly made his way down the Ferris wheel and police took him into custody. Video taken by KTLA-TV shows officers tackling Gonzalez and arresting him.
Santa Monica Police said Gonzalez did not have a bomb or any other explosives with him. He was arrested on charges of criminal threats, making a false bomb threat to authorities, and resisting arrest.
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