Police in Santa Barbara, California, have identified a suspect arrested for throwing an explosive device inside the city courthouse and said he may be involved in previous acts of arson.
Police arrested 20-year-old Nathaniel Maguire shortly after he threw a backpack into a Santa Maria courthouse, causing it to explode and injuring five people.
“Shortly after tossing the backpack, Maguire fled into the southeast parking lot and attempted to enter a red sedan when he was detained by court security, sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers. At the time of his arrest, Maguire was alone and was wearing a bulletproof vest under his jacket. He did not exhibit any trauma from the explosion,” police said in a statement.
Police said Maguire's motive for the attack was due to a previous arrest for possession of an unregistered firearm and he was scheduled to appear in court that morning.
63-year-old woman severely injured in hit-and-run incident in Los Angeles
Santa Barbara police arrested Nathaniel Maguire on Wednesday. (Google Maps, Santa Barbara Police Department)
“Detectives are working with SBC Fire Marshal investigators to determine whether the suspect is connected to several recent arsons and are executing search warrants for Maguire's vehicle and home,” police said in a statement.
Atlanta bus hijacking suspect had 19 prior arrests and suffered from mental illness, family says
McGuire is being held at the Northern Branch Correctional Facility on felony charges including attempted murder, manufacturing an explosive and using an explosive with the intent to commit murder.
Investigators have said they do not believe at this time that Maguire's attack was part of a wider conspiracy.
Suspect Nathaniel Maguire, 20, is under investigation in connection to a recent arson attack in Santa Barbara, California. (Santa Barbara Police Department)
“This is an ongoing investigation and we are looking at all angles but at this time we believe this is a local incident caused by a local individual and that the arrest sparked local frustration. We are not completely ruling out the possibility that there may be something larger involved but at this time we believe this is a local issue which has been safely resolved and there are no community safety concerns,” a police spokesman said.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Police said all five people injured in the explosion had non-life-threatening injuries – four were taken to hospital directly from the scene and the fifth was able to make it to hospital on his own.
The victims were treated for burns and other injuries and all have been released from hospital.
