Four cars were set on fire at a county jail and courthouse in Southern California early Saturday morning, authorities said.
A man who had threatened police was arrested on arson charges at the County of Ventura Government Center at 800 S. Victoria Avenue in the city of Ventura, according to Ventura County Sheriff's deputies.
The man claimed he had a bomb in a backpack, deputies said, and a bomb squad was brought to the center to inspect the area. His backpack was cleared, sheriff's Capt. Don Aguilar said.
"Anything that's left near those vehicles which were suspicious to us at the time is the reason why the bomb squad was here," Aguilar said.
The suspect arrested in connection with the fires was identified by deputies as 36-year-old Jeffrey Landis of Santa Monica.
Four of the cars set on fire were deemed a total loss, deputies said. One other car sustained moderate damage. Four of the cars involved belong to the county.
Officers leaving duty at the government center spotted the fire in the parking lot at about 4:30 a.m., Aguilar said. The vehicles on fire were unmarked, but Aguilar believed they belonged to the county.
Ventura County Superior Court, which was closed for the day, and a jail are located on the premises.
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Landis had minor injuries, Aguilar said. He had not been immediately released from the jail at the government center.
Investigators examined the damaged vehicles, trying to figure out how the fire was started and whether it was random or if the cars were targeted.
"This is a very unusual, unique situation, especially for a government center," Aguilar said.
Landis was booked for arson and resisting arrest. His bail was set at $ 20,000.
NBC4's Oleevia Woo and Asher Klein contributed to this report.
