Police arrest armed man outside Trump’s golf course in California

Aug. 4 (UPI) — Deputies arrested an armed man Sunday outside Trump National Golf Club in Southern California, days before President Donald Trump’s visit Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced.

Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, Calif., pleaded guilty Tuesday to three weapons charges related to Sunday’s arrest and a second-degree robbery charge from an alleged November incident, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.

Plainclothes federal agents alerted sheriff’s deputies to a “suspicious individual” on the golf club property in Rancho Palos Verdes, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department release said. The man was “observed walking through the golf course grounds taking photographs and videos and appearing to monitor security-planning activities.”

Trump was scheduled to attend a Republican National Committee event at the golf course Tuesday night. He was on Air Force One on the way to California when the sheriff’s department announced the arrest, CNN reported.

Deputies identified the suspect as Taele, who was already under investigation in a robbery case by the El Segundo Police Department. They detainedhim and found his vehicle in a parking lot for the course.

“During the detention, deputies recovered a 16-round magazine containing hollow-point ammunition from Taele’s pants pockets,” the release said. They “subsequently searched Taele’s vehicle and recovered a loaded pistol with a round chambered, along with an additional loaded magazine containing hollow-point ammunition.”

Taele was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed firearm and possession of prohibited ammunition.

Detectives from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force then executed a search warrant for Taele’s home Monday because of “the potential security implications surrounding the incident,” the sheriff’s department said.

There, they recovered what are described as an illegally modified AR platform rifle, body armor, a .45-caliber pistol, bulk pistol and rifle ammunition, two “radio signal devices,” multiple notebooks containing “concerning statements” and other items.

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and Secret Service are aiding the investigation. A judge set Taele’s bail at $250,000, banned him from possessing weapons and ordered him to stay away from the golf club and to stay in California, CNN reported.

“Currently, investigators have identified no credible threat to our communities,” the sheriff’s department said. “However, this case underscores the importance of vigilance, strong partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and the proactive steps taken to identify and investigate suspicious activity before it can escalate.”