A disgruntled hotel employee, who had an enormous arsenal of weapons stashed at his home, has pleaded not guilty to threatening to shoot up his workplace after a colleague reported the alleged plan to their boss.
Rodolfo Montoya, of Huntington Beach, California, appeared in court on Thursday accused of plotting to murder his co-workers and guests in at the Marriott near Long Beach Airport, after cops discovered his cache of high-powered firearms – including two assault rifles, a pump-action shotgun and several pistols.
Montoya, 37, allegedly told a co-worker that he was angry and planned to open fire at work on anyone who crossed his path following an undisclosed dispute with his HR department, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Long Beach Branch heard.
But his plan was allegedly foiled when his colleague informed their manager, Imran Ahmed.
The boss then called the Long Beach Police Department who arrested him Tuesday and raided his home seizing the stockpile of weapons.
Montoya is due back in court September 6 and faces more than five years in prison.
Rodolfo Montoya, of Huntington Beach, California, appeared in court on Thursday accused of plotting to murder his co-workers and guests in at the Marriott near Long Beach Airport
Montoya pleaded not guilty and is due back in court September 6 and faces more than five years in prison. He is currently being held on $500,000 bail at the Long Beach City Jail
Rodolfo Montoya allegedly plotted to shoot up the Marriott hotel in Long Beach, California
Montoya was allegedly plotting to murder his co-workers and hotel guests with his cache of high-powered firearms – including two assault rifles, a pump-action shotgun and several pistols – after an undisclosed dispute with his HR department
He is currently being held on $500,000 bail at the Long Beach City Jail.
On Thursday, the LA Times reported that his motor home was surrounded by yellow police tape and chain-link fencing with white tarp. Neighbors said he had lived there for three years.
One man described him as ‘normal’ and several neighbors said they saw and had small talk with him regularly.
Montoya does not have a previous criminal record.
Photographs released by authorities shows a haul of thousands of rounds of ammunition, shotgun cartridges and an array of handguns and rifles.
The volume of weapons meant he would have been capable of causing an attack similar to the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, which resulted in 58 people being killed and 422 more wounded.
‘Multiple firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and tactical gear were seized, including high-capacity magazines and an assault rifle, which are illegal to possess in California,’ Long Beach Police officials said in a statement late Wednesday.
Montoya was charged with four felonies; two counts of making criminal threats, dissuading a witness, and possessing a Colt AR-15 rifle, which is banned in California.
‘We have seen several tragic incidents that have resulted in many lives lost,’ said LBPD Chief of Police Robert G. Luna in a press conference disclosing the arrest.
‘The witnesses who came forward and the diligence of our employees involved in this investigation very likely prevented a threat of violence and saved many lives.’
‘Because this was reported, I firmly believe many lives were saved,’ Long Beach Luna told a news conference.
Rooms at the hotel start at from $224 a night. It has two restaurants and a coffee house on site offering breakfast lunch and dinner. There is also a gym and an outdoor and indoor pool.
General manager of Marriott Long Beach, Imran Ahmed, speaks to the media regarding the arrest of one of his employees
Thousands of rounds of ammunition are pictured following the police raid. LBPD were alerted to the potential mass shooting by a colleague of Montoya’s who said the gunman had revealed his deadly intentions to him following an alleged HR dispute
The weapons and ammunition haul is pictured which included thousands of rounds of ammunition and shotgun cartridges
During a news conference today, Luna turned and directly addressed Ahmed (pictured in a grey suit to the right of the photo) and said: ‘Sir, you saved many lives, not only of your employees but any customers that may have been at the Marriott when this guy decided to show up and carry out his threat’
Montoya, who worked as a cook for the hotel, allegedly spoke to a fellow employee on Monday about the HR dispute and threatened ‘that he was going to shoot up fellow employees and people coming into the hotel.’
Ahmed, the general manager of the Long Beach Marriott, at 4700 Airport Plaza Drive, who reported Montoya to police after the employee came to him said: ‘That is terrifying.’
He said Montoya ‘wasn’t a model employee but he never called out’. Ahmed told The Long Beach Post Montoya won an award for not missing a shift last year.
Marriott employees are trained threats Ahmed confirmed, adding: ‘Otherwise this could’ve gone sideways very quick, very fast.’
Another worker at the hotel said Montoya gave her unwarranted kisses and touches. Irma Escobito told CBS she never reported him, but added: ‘Every time he comes and he look for me, and he touch me or give me a kiss on the head, I say, ‘Don’t touch me please, don’t kiss me,’ because the cameras are there, and I don’t like that.’
A neighbor said that he had an RV and had been warned he had ‘all kinds of guns’ in it. They said they were warned by a friend to stay away.
During a news conference, Luna turned and directly addressed Ahmed and said: ‘Sir, you saved many lives, not only of your employees but any customers that may have been at the Marriott when this guy decided to show up and carry out his threat.’
Montoya does not appear to have any criminal history that would prevent him from legally purchasing the firearms, although some of the weapons found by police at Montoya’s home ‘may be illegal to possess,’ along with some of the high-capacity ammunition magazines, Luna said.
Body armor and numerous magazines were found among the weapon haul which was discovered by LBPD following a tip-off
A semi-automated weapon, bolt action rifle and revolver were recovered by police in the potentially deadly shooting plot
A pump-action shotgun and semi-automated weapon were recovered by police in the potentially deadly shooting plot
Some 25 people have now been arrested over threats to carry out a mass shooting since the attacks in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, at the start of August. The FBI has been on high-alert for copycat shooters, it has been reported
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia told reporters on Wednesday that he felt the police department had worked to ‘avert what could have been a real tragedy.’
‘Suspect Montoya had clear plans, intent and the means to carry out an act of violence that may have resulted in a mass casualty incident,’ Luna said.
‘We want to thank the hotel employee for bringing this information forward,’ officials added in a department press release.
‘This incident is excellent example of the ‘See Something, Say Something’ philosophy and how critical it is to report suspicious activity to law enforcement.’
Some 25 people have now been arrested over threats to carry out a mass shooting since the attacks in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, at the start of August. The FBI has been on high-alert for copycat shooters, it has been reported.
The volume of weapons meant Montoya would have been capable of causing an attack similar to the one unleashed by Stephen Paddock on October, 1 2017 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.
Paddock killed 58 people and wounded more than 400 during the deadliest mass shooting in US history, before killing himself as officers stormed his hotel room.
He fired barrages for about 10 minutes from 32nd floor windows into the open-air Route 91 Harvest Festival concert across Las Vegas Boulevard.
‘We have seen several tragic incidents that have resulted in many lives lost,’ said LBPD Chief of Police Robert G. Luna (pictured) in a statement. The witnesses who came forward and the diligence of our employees involved in this investigation very likely prevented a threat of violence and saved many lives’