Hotel Cook Arrested Over Alleged Plan to ‘Shoot Up’ Co-Workers and Guests on the Property

Rodolfo Montoya, 37, was arrested Tuesday at his Huntington Beach home after one of his co-workers at the Long Beach Marriott tipped off authorities about what Police Chief Robert Luna said during a news conference was his plan to “shoot up fellow employees and people coming into the hotel,” NPR reports.

Montoya, who worked as a cook, allegedly concocted this violent plan in wake of a human resources issue that made him upset. Long Beach Police immediately launched an investigation once they were informed of the potential threat on Monday, which led them to conducting a search of his residence. 

Police seized a number of weapons, including “multiple firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and tactical gear,” as well as “high-capacity magazines and an assault rifle,” all of which are illegal in the state of California. “Montoya had clear plans, intent and the means to carry out an act of violence that may have resulted in a mass casualty situation,” Luna said. “Because this was reported, I firmly believe many lives were saved.” 

CNN reports that more than two dozen people have been arrested over threats to commit mass shootings since the tragic incidents in El Paso and Dayton earlier this month where over 30 people combined were gunned down. 

The increased attention on preventing gun violence has even been felt in a different way by Dick’s Sporting Goods, which saw a 3.2 percent upswing in store sales in the second quarter. The jump in performance represents their strongest quarter in three years. All of this comes after the retailer announced in March that firearms would be removed from 125 of their stores.

Montoya has been booked on manufacturing and distributing assault weapons, possession of an assault weapon and making a criminal threat. He is being held behind bars on $500,000 bail.