Man Arrested For Putting Chemical Weapon Inside Oxnard Walmart
OXNARD (CBSLA.com) — A man faces charges of creating a chemical weapon capable of creating a gas classified by the CDC that is "immediately dangerous to life or health considerations" inside a Walmart store in Oxnard.
Martin Reyes, 31, was questioned Tuesday in connection with a report of a possible improvised chemical weapon the morning of June 18 at the store at 2701 Saviers Road, Oxnard police Sgt. Mike Gregson said.
When the device was identified as a possible improvised chemical weapon, the store was evacuated for about six hours while a hazmat team rendered the device safe.
A month-long investigation identified Reyes as the suspect. Reyes, who was in custody at Ventura County Main Jail for an unrelated charge, confessed to manufacturing and placing the chemical weapon inside the store after researching how to create the device on the Internet, Gregson said.
Reyes was arrested and booked for the unlawful possession and manufacturing of a chemical weapon of mass destruction. He is being held on $500,000 bail, according to Ventura County jail records.
He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Thursday.
