A homemade bomb exploded at a California courthouse Wednesday morning, wounding at least two people, cops said.
An adult male suspect was arrested at the scene in Santa Maria, police said on social media. The suspect was not identified further.
The two wounded people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities. They were not identified either.
“Scene remains active. Please continue to avoid the area,” said Raquel Zick, public information officer at the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. “Explosion was from an intentionally set improvised explosive device.”
A man threw a bag into a courtroom where defendants are typically arraigned, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported. The man then sprinted away, and something inside the bag exploded, authorities said.
Various attorneys and defendants arrived at the courthouse in Santa Maria, about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, only to find the area roped off with caution tape, according to the Tribune. Authorities were working to reschedule court dates as police officers investigated the scene.
The Santa Maria courthouse became known worldwide in 2005 when Michael Jackson was tried there on 14 counts of molesting a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch, about 25 miles southeast of Santa Maria. Jackson was acquitted on all 14 counts.
With News Wire Services
