A man carrying a loaded handgun and hollow-point ammunition has been arrested at US President Donald Trump’s Los Angeles-area golf club, just days before the President’s scheduled visit, local authorities said.
The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele, was arrested on Sunday at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities said Taele was seen photographing and filming the golf course while appearing to monitor security preparations ahead of Trump’s planned appearance at a Republican Party fundraising dinner on Tuesday.
Deputies said they found a 16-round magazine loaded with ammunition in his pocket. A subsequent search of his vehicle parked at the golf club uncovered a loaded handgun with a round chambered and a second loaded magazine.
Investigators also revealed that Taele was already under investigation by the El Segundo Police Department in connection with a separate robbery case.
On Monday, detectives working alongside the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force searched Taele’s home in Downey, where they recovered an illegally modified rifle, a second handgun, body armour, high-capacity magazines, bulk ammunition, radio signal devices, and notebooks containing what authorities described as “concerning statements.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it has not identified any credible threat to the public. Taele remains in custody without bail while prosecutors consider possible charges.
President Trump’s visit to Southern California is part of a wider campaign tour through California and Nevada ahead of the November midterm elections.
