Criminal proceedings were halted on Thursday due to doubts surrounding the mental competence of an Orange County resident. The man in question falsely claimed to possess a bomb and proceeded to climb the Ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier. Juan Gonzalez, aged 37, is scheduled to appear at the Hollywood courthouse on October 26, as confirmed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
On Wednesday, the Garden Grove resident was charged with two felony counts of criminal threats, along with one felony count each of making a false report of a bomb threat, false imprisonment, and resisting arrest.
At approximately 2:40 p.m. on Monday, Santa Monica police officers were dispatched to the pier after receiving reports of an individual climbing the Ferris wheel with a dark-colored backpack. A witness informed the police that the man had made claims of carrying a bomb before attempting to ascend the lattice-work of the 130-foot-tall Ferris wheel, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
The man managed to climb approximately two-thirds of the way up the steel supports of the wheel. At the time, around 10 riders were on the Ferris wheel, and the fire department used a bucket truck to safely evacuate them while negotiators attempted to talk the man down. Both the Pacific Park amusement park and the pier were subsequently closed to the public.
Police stated on Tuesday that “Gonzalez displayed high levels of agitation and distress throughout the incident, persistently making bomb threats towards the officers involved in the negotiations.” The incident lasted for over an hour until Gonzalez descended to a low enough position for officers to apprehend him. It should be noted that Gonzalez did not have any explosive devices or weapons in his possession.
Gonzalez was taken into custody in the late afternoon of Monday and has remained incarcerated since then, as confirmed by jail records.
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