A Los Angeles man was arrested Saturday after California State Parks rangers found several Molotov cocktails near a hiking trail in the Santa Monica Mountains.
A park ranger at the Santa Monica Mountain Recreation Area was approached by a person who discovered the potentially deadly devices in a wooded area next to a trail, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The ranger found eight Molotov cocktails and gasoline containers hidden in the area and contacted the Los Angeles police and fire departments.
LAPD officers recovered the items and the department’s Major Crimes Division took over the investigation.
Evidence recovered at the scene led them to identifying Maksim Klimenko, 34, of Los Angeles as the suspect in the case.
Klimenko was arrested and faces possible charges for possession of destructive devices. The case has been sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office which will determine exactly what charges he will face.
Molotov cocktails are crude explosives made from glass bottles and a flammable liquid like gasoline, which are lit on fire and then hurled at a target.