Authorities in Santa Monica found possible explosives as well as weapons and ammunition Sunday in the car of a man who told them he was in town for the L.A. Pride festival in West Hollywood, a law enforcement source said.
Early Sunday, Santa Monica police received a call of a suspected prowler near Olympic Boulevard and 11th Street. Patrol officers responded and encountered an individual who told officers he was waiting for a friend. That led officers to inspect the car and find several weapons and a lot of ammunition as well as tannerite, an ingredient that could be used to create a pipe bomb.
The car had Indiana plates. The man was arrested and made comments that he was in town for the Pride event in West Hollywood this weekend. The festival is going ahead with tightened security, and police are looking for the friend mentioned by the suspect.
Authorities said they see no connection between the Santa Monica arrest and a gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., early Sunday morning. The Santa Monica investigation has been taken over by the FBI.