Northern California police arrest man after finding Molotov cocktail for ‘self protection’
A traffic stop for illegal parking over the weekend in Butte County led officers to arrest a newspaper delivery driver after a Molotov cocktail was found in his passenger seat, police said.
The incident occurred Sunday in the small town of Gridley, nearly 60 miles north of Sacramento. Shortly before 10:30 a.m., officers spotted a Toyota 4Runner parked diagonally across two disabled parking spots, the Gridley Police Department announced Tuesday on Facebook.
The Toyota was parked outside the Gridley Branch Library. The officers initiated the traffic enforcement stop and spoke to the driver, later identified as Ronald Montgomery.
Police said Montgomery told the officers he was parked that way because he was delivering newspapers at that location. The officers soon learned that Montgomery was on parole, so they searched him and his vehicle.
The officers found under several newspapers in the passenger seat a glass jar with pale yellow liquid consistent with gasoline, according to the Police Department. The jar also had a long cloth rag extending out of a hole in a lid.
Police officials said the glass jar appeared to be makeshift incendiary device consistent with a Molotov cocktail meant to be used as an explosive when the rag wick is lit and thrown similar to a grenade.
Montgomery told investigators that he made the Molotov cocktail for “self-protection,” police said.
The Butte County Interagency Bomb Squad and the Cal Fire hazardous materials team were called to dispose of the device.
Montgomery was arrested on suspicion of possessing an explosive destructive device, possessing an explosive destructive device in a public place, possessing drug paraphernalia and violating parole, according to the Police Department.
