Armed man arrested outside Trump's Los Angeles golf course before presidential visit

A man carrying ammunition and with a gun in his car was arrested Sunday at President Donald Trump's Los Angeles-area golf course after appearing to monitor security preparations two days ahead of Trump's fundraiser there, authorities said Tuesday.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Jeanine John Taele, 38, was taking photos and video and had a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket. Authorities recovered a loaded pistol in his car. Law enforcement searched his home in the nearby city of Downey on Monday and found a plethora of firearms, magazines and ammunition, body armor and notebooks with “concerning statements.”

The sheriff's department announced the arrest as Trump was preparing to arrive for a fundraising dinner for the Republican National Committee at the Trump National Golf Course in the suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes just south of Los Angeles.

Taele was charged with several felonies including second-degree robbery, receiving a large-capacity magazine and possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun. He was also charged with carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, a misdemeanor.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges Monday and was ordered to stay away from the golf course and not possess weapons. His bail was set at $250,000.

It wasn't clear if he had an attorney, and family members could not immediately be reached for comment.

The sheriff's department said when they made contact with Taele on Sunday, they had determined he was being investigated by the El Segundo Police Department for robbery.

The sheriff's department said there is “no credible threat to our communities.”

A jury in 2025 found a man guilty of trying to assassinate Trump at the president's Florida country club.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)