Long Beach police arrested a man after he allegedly posted an online threat of violence connected to a scheduled Sen. Bernie Sanders rally in the city on Tuesday. Detectives arrested 27-year-old Jose Rafael Guzman of Huntington Park, a Los Angeles suburb, on Monday, the Long Beach Police Department said in a statement.
He was booked for criminal threats and threatening a public officer.
“We take all potential threats of violence very seriously and thoroughly investigate all reported incidents,” Chief Robert Luna said in a statement. “Our department will remain vigilant and continue to be visible to ensure the safety of our community.”
The department did not provide details about the nature of the online threat.
Police said Guzman was released after posting bail.
Long Beach Police Lt. Lee de Brabander told CBS Los Angeles that Guzman was released only because authorities did not believe he posed a serious threat.
“If we believed that there was an ongoing credible threat, there would be additional charges and the bail would be increased further,” he said.
There was no phone listing under Guzman’s name in Huntington Park. It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
Long Beach police scheduled extra patrols in high visibility areas following a string of fatal mass shootings in the U.S. in recent days.It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer who
