A man arrested last summer on suspicion of leaving Molotov cocktail-type devices at a subway station in Los Angeles was sentenced Wednesday to three years in state prison after pleading no contest to possession of a destructive device.
Frederick Brown, 50, was arrested on Aug. 2 by Los Angeles police after being detained at the MacArthur Park Red Line station near Sixth and Alvarado streets.
Officials said Brown, who reportedly is homeless, was suspected of leaving three homemade devices containing liquid that had the odor of gasoline on the Red Line station platform at Vermont and Santa Monica Boulevard on July 30.
“We thank and congratulate LAPD for working closely with Metro personnel and contract security to foil this grave threat as well as to quickly investigate and apprehend a suspect,” Metro officials said. “It is proof that, working together, our safety and security partner team can successfully thwart a potentially dangerous incident on the transit system.
“This incident serves as a stark reminder that we all must continue to be hyper-vigilant in observing and reporting suspicious activity whenever and wherever we see it on the Metro system,” the statement continued. “Our customers play a key role in this partnership. If you see something, say something.”
Brown has remained behind bars since his arrest, according to jail records.