Associated Press
SANTA MARIA, Calif. 鈥� An explosive device that authorities said was intentionally set has injured two people at a California courthouse on Wednesday, authorities said.
One person of interest was detained following the blast reported shortly after 8:45 a.m. at the Santa Maria Courthouse in Santa Maria, sheriff鈥檚 officials said. The small city of about 110,000 people in Santa Barbara County is in California鈥檚 central coast region.
鈥淲e have two reports of non-life-threatening injuries. One person of interest detained immediately. Scene remains active. Please continue to avoid the area,鈥� Santa Barbara County Sheriff Public Information Officer Raquel Zick said on the social platform X.
Zick later said the person detained was a man and the blast came from 鈥渁n intentionally set鈥� explosive device.
Shane Mellon told that he was at the courthouse when he heard what sounded like chairs falling over.
鈥淚t was a loud bang,鈥� he said, adding the bailiff escorted him and others out.
Mellon said he saw what looked like a sweater smoldering and a man screaming while four or five people got on top of him, trying to keep him restrained.
鈥淚 think this could have been way worse than it was if not for the deputies just jumping on top of that guy,鈥� Mellon said.
A spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff鈥檚 Department declined to immediately provide additional information.
The office of said it was monitoring the situation and coordinating with local law enforcement.
The website for the Superior Court in Santa Barbara County said the courthouse complex was closed for the day and all courtroom calendars were canceled. Phone and email messages were left for Darrel Parker, the court鈥檚 executive officer.
The courthouse holds state and county courts in the city of Santa Maria, which is about 150 miles (240 km) northwest of Los Angeles. Two decades ago, the and acquitted of sexual abuse.
