A cook at a Long Beach, California, hotel who allegedly threatened to shoot co-workers and guests this week has been charged with four felony counts, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
Rodolfo Montoya, 37, who worked at the Marriott hotel near the Long Beach Airport,was arrested Tuesday. Police said they found multiple high-powered weapons, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and 38 magazines capable of holding 30 rounds each at his Huntington Beach home.
Police said that Montoya was upset about human resources issues and told a co-worker that he planned to shoot other workers and hotel guests. That co-worker brought the threat to the attention of authorities.
Montoya is charged with two counts of criminal threats as well as one count each of dissuading a witness by force or threat and possession of an assault weapon, the district attorney’s office said. It identified the assault weapon as a Colt AR-15 rifle.
It was not clear if Montoya has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
If convicted as charged, he could face more than five years in prison, the district attorney’s office said in a statement. Montoya is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail. A jail official said he was still being held Thursday night.
Long Beach Police Chief Robert G. Luna on Wednesday hailed the employee who reported the threat and said that likely saved lives.
