25-year-old Hollywood man arrested with cache of weapons pleads not guilty
A 25-year-old man pleaded not guilty after officers seized an arsenal of weapons from his Hollywood high-rise apartment.
The suspect Braxton Johnson was charged with two counts of possession of an assault weapon, one count of criminal threats and one count of solicitation of murder.
Officers seized two assault rifles, a sniper rifle, a shotgun, three pistols and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition from Johnson's home. None of the firearms were registered to the suspect, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Two of the weapons were reported to be illegal in the state of California.
They also found several high-capacity magazines, scopes and body armor in the apartment.
During Johnson's first court appearance on Thursday, detectives said they found new "items" in the suspect's apartment. They did not specify what the "items" were. Johnson also asked if his father could take his personal items from the apartment. The court allowed him to do so, once LAPD's investigation finishes.
During a press conference on Wednesday, LAPD said the arrest possibly prevented "something of a heinous crime, like a mass shooting."
"Los Angeles County is still reeling over the tragic mass shooting in Monterey Park," District Attorney George Gascón said. "Were it not for the brave actions of the witnesses in this case, this could have also been an incredible tragedy.
Neighbors said they had several uncomfortable interactions with Johnson, stating that he threatened to "snipe" their dogs, constantly talked about mass shootings and wondered how many people he could "snipe through" his floor.
LAPD said they found no evidence that Johnson was planning a mass shooting.
Johnson was initially held on $500,000 bail before the District Attorney asked for his bail amount to be increased to $1,050,000, which was granted by the judge.
He is expected to be back in court on Feb. 16.
