A 20-year-old Santa Maria man has been charged in federal court with maliciously damaging a building by means of an explosive, according to legal documents that spell out the suspected chilling plan when Nathaniel James McGuire showed up at the Santa Maria Court Complex on Wednesday. 

McGuire is scheduled to make his initial appearance Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles, federal officials said late Thursday night.

McGuire is accused of entering the Santa Maria criminal courts building and throwing a bag into the lobby with people inside. The bag exploded and the suspect fled, with law enforcement officers in pursuit.

At least five people present in the building’s lobby were injured by the blast.

Law enforcement officers apprehended McGuire as he tried to get into a red Ford Mustang in the court parking lot. 

McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up and rebel, federal officials said. He had a weapons-related case scheduled for an arraignment hearing on Wednesday morning in Santa Maria. 

Inside the man’s Mustang, law enforcement officers spotted ammunition, a flare gun and a box of fireworks. A later search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb rendered safe and 10 Molotov cocktails. 

The investigation also led to McGuire’s residence in the Montiavo Apartments off Bradley Road in Santa Maria.

That search revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive materials.

During an interview of law enforcement officers, McGuire said he intended to kill deputies, reportedly shouting, “Liberty or death,” according to the federal criminal complaint. 

“After throwing the bag, McGuire intended to go back to his car, a red Ford Mustang, to get a shotgun, a lever action rifle, and Molotov cocktails. McGuire then intended to reenter courthouse to kill a judge,” the federal complaint said.

The defendant directed law enforcement officers to his laptop containing a list of grievances and goodbyes to his family and friends.

“This defendant’s alleged misconduct was chilling,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said. “Not only did he injure five people and traumatize many more, but he possessed a cache of weapons that would have allowed him to wreak even greater destruction had he not been stopped.

“Attacks on our courts, law enforcement officers and other public servants are unacceptable, and it is critical that those who carry out such assaults be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”

“The idea of intentionally setting off an explosive device to do harm and avoid justice in the process shocks the conscience,” added Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. 

“Make no mistake, we are committed to holding Mr. McGuire accountable for this blatant act of violence. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety.”

The FBI and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office were conducting a joint investigation.

If convicted, McGuire would face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.

Damage Evaluated; Cleanup Started

As the investigation continued, the focus Thursday also turned to damage assessment and cleanup efforts inside the building.

Superior Court Executive Officer Darrel Parker said Thursday that the damage includes burn scars around the Department 9 wooden door and the tile floor.

There’s also a significant amount of residue from the fire extinguishers used after the suspect pushed into the building and tossed the explosive package.

“It’s all being cleaned up today,” Parker said.

In the aftermath, officials evacuated the sprawling court complex campus, and cancelled all court hearings plus two trials.

When the device was tossed, the doors to Department 9 were open with two people entering the courtroom where arraignment hearings occur, so some damage occurred inside the courtroom along with the lobby. 

Parker said he still needs an expert to examine the X-ray machine at the facility’s security entrance to ensure that it didn’t get damaged in the incident. 

Fire sprinklers did not activate, helping limit the damage inside the building. Parker said the early estimates put the cost at less than $50,000, but assessments were continuing.

Nearly 90 cases were on the calendar for Department 9 on Wednesday, Parker said. Between 150 and 200 cases — criminal, civil and family — were set to be heard in various courtrooms on the campus.

Courtroom doors typically open at 8:30 a.m., and when the device exploded, one person’s pants caught on fire, Parker said.

“The victim ended up in the courtroom to find his pants on fire and literally took his pants off in the courtroom,” Parker said.

Investigators have plenty of surveillance video of the incident and aftermath, Parker said, declining to release it.

Court Activity to Resume Monday

He said that after consulting with his facilities staff, Santa Maria courts will resume normal business on Monday. 

Santa Maria’s court buildings remained closed Thursday because of the investigation and cleanup. Friday is a scheduled state court holiday — Native American Day — so the Santa Maria, Lompoc and Santa Barbara facilities had been set to be closed.

McGuire remained in the Santa Barbara County Jail on Thursday. 

A decision on whether to file local charges and what charges to file doesn’t need to be made until Tuesday because of the authorized two-day closure related to the emergency plus the scheduled holiday. 

“We continue to be in communication with the U.S. Attorney’s Office about the most appropriate venue for any charges that may be filed,” District Attorney John Savrnoch said. 

Huge Response, Huge Impact

A full complement of first responders were at the scene throughout the day Wednesday, including the Santa Maria police and fire departments, American Medical Response ambulances, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol and more.

While the facility is located in the city of Santa Maria, the court complex is the jurisdiction of the Sheriff’s Office, which took the lead on the investigation with the FBI joining later. 

A number of other businesses and government office along with a private school had to close as a precaution Wednesday.

As firefighters dealt with the aftermath, city police officers and parks rangers cordoned off roads within a five-block segment around the court complex and wider downtown area for nine hours.

“I want to thank the first responders and our city staff for their quick and professional response yesterday at the Santa Maria Courthouse,” Mayor Alice Patino said. “A number of agencies cooperatively and swiftly apprehended the suspect, established a perimeter for the investigation, treated victims, and worked to render the scene safe and secure. I sincerely thank you for your contributions.”