When looking into a claim about a reported threat of violence, the authorities came upon a rather large cache of weapons along with controversial memorabilia inside of a man’s residence.
Huntington Beach resident Mitchell Todd has a home-based business raising doves and releasing them at events.
Todd worked for a man who wanted doves released at his son’s funeral, and it reportedly led to a disagreement between himself and the client regarding payment for his work.
When the unsatisfied client notified the police he told them that Todd had made comments toward him during their phone calls that caused him to feel threatened. He also reported that Todd had left him what he felt were aggressive messages that increased in intensity over time.
Through the course of an investigation into Todd’s alleged behavior, the voicemails and messages left for the alleged victim were reviewed. The authorities believe that one of the recordings contains a sound resembling the release of the slide on a handgun.
A Long Beach Police Department sergeant stated in a news interview that they believed that due to what they heard, they “knew we were dealing with somebody who’s got the potential of extreme violence.”
Based on the ascertainment a warrant was issued giving permission to search Todd’s home.
While inside of the house the authorities reportedly found more than 50 weapons, some of which are considered assault rifles. 12 of them have been verified as being registered to Todd.
The police felt it was a concern when a Confederate flag and Nazi memorabilia was seen inside of the home. Though they did not find anything posted on his social media pages that would support it, investigators have expressed their intent to look further into the possibility that Todd may be involved with hate groups based on the reported items found.
51-year-old Todd was taken into custody by the Laguna Beach police. There was enough probable cause to charge him with making criminal threats, but they believe that they will collect enough against him to support a weapon charge as well.
If you or someone you love is suspected of making criminal threats, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.