Pasadena man set off more than 150 explosions, police say
A Pasadena man 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 near Allen Avenue and Washington Boulevard, the Pasadena Police Department said in a news release.
Berian was identified as the suspect after investigators working on this 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 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.”
He was arrested and booked into Pasadena City Jail, where he was held on $1.5 million bail, police said.
Jail records, however, say Berian is being held at Men’s Central Jail in lieu of $2.02 million bail.
Officials with the Pasadena Police Department later confirmed to KTLA that the 62-year-old is being held without bail and his arraignment was rescheduled for May 30.
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