A man from Alabama was arrested after allegedly driving across the country to threaten a Catholic monastery in Southern California.
Joshua Michael Richardson was taken into custody this week after investigators said he targeted St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado Canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains, according to the Orange County Register.
Sgt. Gerard McCann with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said Richardson showed up at the Abbey on Aug. 26 and made threats.
Two days later, a priest reported the incident and also gave deputies threatening emails the church had received.
Richardson was found and detained in a parking structure on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, police said.
Officials believe he drove from Alabama and arrived in California the same day he visited the monastery.
The sheriff’s department said investigators searched Richardson’s vehicle.
Investigators and deputies quickly located and detained Richardson for criminal threats. After searching his vehicle, they found body armor, high-capacity magazines, brass knuckles and knives. He was arrested without further incident and booked into the Orange County Jail. pic.twitter.com/hE7qBOOaPw
— OC Sheriff, CA (@OCSheriff) September 2, 2025
Inside, they found “body armor, high-capacity magazines, brass knuckles and knives,” per the Orange County Register.
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Richardson was arrested and booked on suspicion of making criminal threats.
He has no known history of violent crime, McCann told the Orange County Register.
The department has not released additional details about the extent of the threats.
Investigators also said there is no evidence linking this case to last month’s shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
That Aug. 27 attack killed two children and wounded 17 others.
Still, deputies have increased patrols near the Abbey since Richardson’s arrest.
The church has also boosted private security.
In a news release, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said Richardson, 38, first sent emails interpreted as threatening before showing up in person.
The release said, “While incidents like this can feel unsettling, they also highlight the power of community. If something seems off, say something. Trust your instincts and report suspicious activity.”
The department asked anyone with information about Richardson to call them at 714-647-7000.
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