A man armed with a rifle that bore phrases from the Batman villain “The Joker” is facing felony firearms charges after he was seen running in traffic near the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, sheriff’s officials said.
Sean Steiner, 36, of Glendale, Ariz., was charged this month with possession of an assault weapon, possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, possession of a large-capacity magazine and carrying a loaded firearm in public, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records. Steiner has not yet entered a plea and could not be reached for comment.
His attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Wednesday.
Steiner was arrested on March 29 when Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies responded to Palos Verdes Drive South after someone called to report that a man was running in traffic. Steiner had also been seen hiking through nearby trails wearing a bulletproof vest and gloves and armed with several weapons, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
At the time of Steiner’s arrest, deputies seized a loaded “joker-style” rifle that was painted in green and purple and had the phrases “Why so serious?” and “Let’s put a smile on that face” written on it. The tip of the firearm was painted orange, resembling a toy gun, the Sheriff’s Department wrote in a Facebook post detailing the arrest.
Steiner told deputies that he had fired one of the guns he was carrying near a landslide area to get “some anger out,” according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Steiner had two loaded handguns, high-capacity magazines, additional ammunition and a ballistic vest capable of stopping rifle rounds, the Sheriff’s Department said. He was also carrying a duffel bag and a step stool.
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