Investigators in Orange County have arrested an Alabama man for making criminal threats against a Catholic church in Silverado Canyon, the Orange County Sheriff's Department said this week.
Authorities were first alerted by officials from St. Michael's Abbey on Silverado Canyon Road last week about a man, later identified as Joshuah Michael Richardson, sending potentially threatening emails.
Then Richardson, 38, showed up at the church in person and made additional threats, the sheriff's department said.
When a priest at the church called authorities, Richard was taken into custody without an incident.
But what investigators found was alarming: Richardson had body armor, high-capacity magazines, brass knuckles and knives in his car.
The sheriff's department urged other people to reach out if they experience "unsettling" incidents
"Trust your instincts and report suspicious activity, whether it is a strange message, unusual behavior, or something that does not sit right," the sheriff's department said in a statement. "Your call could stop a crime before it happens."
Anyone with additional details that may assist investigators about Richardson was asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 714-647-7000.