Felony charges were filed on Wednesday against a man who allegedly made false bomb threats and climbed the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier.
Juan Gonzalez, a 37-year-old resident of Garden Grove, will face arraignment on Thursday. He is charged with multiple offenses, including criminal threats, making a false report of a bomb threat, false imprisonment, and resisting arrest.
A report was received by the Santa Monica Police Department on Monday at around 2:40 p.m. regarding a person who was climbing the Ferris wheel carrying a dark-colored backpack. According to a witness, the man claimed to possess a bomb before starting his ascent on the 130-foot-tall Ferris wheel.
The man managed to climb about two-thirds of the way up the Ferris wheel using the steel supports. At the time, approximately 10 individuals were on the wheel, and fire crews utilized a bucket truck to evacuate them while negotiators attempted to persuade the man to come down. As a result, Pacific Park amusement park and the pier were closed to the public.
“Gonzalez was highly agitated and made multiple bomb threats towards the negotiating officers,” stated the police department on Tuesday. “The incident lasted for over an hour before Gonzalez climbed down to a level where officers could apprehend him. No explosive device or other weapons were found in his possession.”
Gonzalez was taken into custody late Monday afternoon.
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