California man set off more than 150 explosions, police say
PASADENA, Calif. (KTLA) – A man from Pasadena, California, has been arrested in connection with “over 150 unidentified explosions” in the city over the past two years, police said.
Art Leon Berian, 62, is accused of setting off the explosions, including 14 in the past two weeks alone, the Pasadena Police Department said in a news release.
Berian was identified as the suspect after investigators working on the case on May 16 stumbled upon another explosion. While obtaining video of a previous incident, detectives “heard a loud explosion and observed a white cloud in front of them,” the release said.
While searching the area, detectives spotted Berian’s 2013 BMW, one of two vehicles registered to the same owner that had been spotted at previous incidents, police said.
Berian was detained, and “evidence was collected from his car related to that explosion,” police said.
He was arrested and booked into Pasadena City Jail.
He has been charged with three felony counts of explosions with intent to injure or intimidate, though as police noted, “miraculously, there have been no reported injuries associated with these explosions.”
Officials with the Pasadena Police Department later confirmed to Nexstar’s KTLA that Berian is being held without bail and his arraignment was rescheduled for May 30.
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