A news crew in California was filming in a busy shopping center over the weekend. They encountered a man on the sidewalk, who revealed two suitcases filled with weapons.
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According to a report by KTLA, their reporters, Kimberly Cheng and Andre Cox, were setting up for an unrelated event when they caught the armed man on video. They were filming outside an Apple store at the time. Tourists from the UK reportedly said they believed they accidentally stumbled into the scene from a movie. Emily Thomas told reporters she thought, “It must be a movie set. But then he seemed really angry and really agitated.” She added, “We started walking off because I thought, I’m not going to get shot. I don’t fancy that today.”
Another bystander, Otto Escalante, told the outlet, “I was completely unaware of what was really happening.” He also saw the cameras and presumed it was a movie shoot.
The film crew caught the man, who identified himself as Steven Jenson, inviting passers-by to inspect his guns. “Hi, ma’am, these are my guns. Would you like to see them?” he asked while pointing to his suitcases. He then explained, “I have an AR-15.”
The man appeared to call the emergency services on his phone, where he told the dispatcher he was in the middle of a custody battle. He also said he was having a mental health crisis. “Get law enforcement to help me,” he said while on the phone.
Officers Quickly Arrived And Restrained The Armed Man
Police eventually apprehended the man, and the news crew filmed an officer arresting him. KTLV explains that authorities showed up “within two minutes” of him calling the dispatcher. There was a brief struggle before two officers restrained him on the ground.
Jenson reportedly has an outstanding warrant, and his vehicle has a Texas number plate. It’s unclear if he’s from Texas or California. According to the New York Post, police later determined that the weapons were not loaded. It’s unclear what he may be charged with, and officers reportedly said there is no danger to the public.