LOS ANGELES – A Santa Barbara County man was charged today in a federal criminal complaint alleging he committed a bomb attack at a courthouse in Santa Maria on September 25, in which at least five people were injured.
Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria, is charged with maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive.
McGuire, who was arrested Wednesday shortly after the attack, is expected to make his initial appearance Friday afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on September 25, McGuire entered a courthouse of Santa Barbara County Superior Court and threw a bag into the lobby. The bag exploded and McGuire left the courthouse on foot. The explosion injured at least five people who were present at the courthouse at that time.
Shortly thereafter, McGuire was apprehended and detained by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies as he was trying to access a red Ford Mustang car parked outside the building. McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.
Inside the car, a deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks. A search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails. Law enforcement later rendered the bomb safe.
A search of McGuire’s residence revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material.
If convicted, McGuire would face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.
The FBI and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter.
Related Federal Cases
- Richard Tillman, Malicious Destruction by Fire, California 2024 · Arkansas
- Chance Brannon, Using an Explosive Device to Damage Real Property Affecting Interstate Commerce, California 2023 · California
- Willie James McNeal, Prison Assault, California 2024 · Texas
- James Russell Davis, Armored Truck Heist, California 2024 · Alabama
- Curtis Lear, Destruction Of Government Property, Washington 2024 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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