A potentially fatal booby trap incident was foiled by Santa Monica Police Department officers, who discovered multiple deadly traps set up in a residence’s garage and grounds. On November 17, 2024, at around 5:50 pm, officers responded to a “shots fired” call at an Exposition Blvd address. They found two elderly females unharmed inside the house but located suspect Arthur Hideki Tabuchi (61) also unharmed.
However, while checking the garage, officers discovered a rigged shotgun shell with a spring-loaded firing pin and wire attached to it, which could have fired if opened. Another shell was found near a pedestrian gate with a similar setup. The investigation revealed that these shells were altered sound devices but had recently been discharged, sparking the initial shots fired call.
The house was evacuated, and the Los Angeles County Bomb Squad assisted in clearing additional booby traps. Detectives obtained a search warrant and found illegally obtained ammunition. Tabuchi was transported to a hospital for evaluation. He faces felony charges related to assembling and maintaining deadly devices under California Penal Code 20110.
Source: https://smdp.com/2024/11/18/police-respond-to-a-shots-fired-call-and-find-deadly-boobytraps-at-pico-residence