Two people were hurt in an explosion Wednesday morning at a courthouse in Santa Maria, authorities said.
One person was detained following the blast reported shortly after 8:45 a.m. at the Santa Maria Courthouse in northern Santa Barbara County, sheriff’s officials said.
“We have two reports of non-life-threatening injuries. One person of interest detained immediately. Scene remains active. Please continue to avoid the area,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Public Information Officer Raquel Zick said on the social platform X.
Zick later said the person detained was a man and the blast came from “an intentionally set improvised explosive device.”
A spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department declined to immediately provide additional information.
The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was “actively monitoring” the situation and coordinating with local law enforcement.
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The website for the Superior Court in Santa Barbara County said the courthouse complex was closed for the day and all courtroom calendars were canceled. Phone and email messages were left for Darrel Parker, the court’s executive officer.
The courthouse holds state and county courts in the city of 110,000 people on the southern edge of California’s central coast, about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles.