News10 and other news outlets report that explosives, assault weapons, thousands in cash and multiple passports were found at a Rio Linda property Friday night.
Andreas H. Koertel, 46, was arrested by Placer County sheriff’s deputies after a traffic stop, sheriff’s office spokesperson Dena Erwin said. During the traffic stop, deputies found firearms and meth in the car. The find prompted deputies to call the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and ask them to check a property in Rio Linda where Koertel had been staying.
When Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies went to the property at 5801 24th Street, they had to call in help from Sacramento Metro Fire Department, the sheriff’s department bomb squad and the FBI. On the land, law enforcement found:
- 4 assault rifles – two of the rifles had silencers
- 1 shotgun
- 1 rifle
- 5 handguns – on handgun had a silencer
- 20 high-capacity magazines
- 20,000 to 30,000 rounds of ammunition
- More than $33,000 in cash
- Multiple passports – at least three were German passports
Law enforcement also found explosives. Sacramento County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jason Ramos said deputies found explosive material, several jars of black powder, a pipe bomb and numerous cricket bombs. The explosive materials were detonated at the scene by the FBI and Sacramento County bomb squads.
Ramos said law enforcement also found a cell phone that had been converted into a remote detonator.
All the seized material is believed to belong to Koertel, Ramos said.
During the search, two families were evacuated from the property, which is a large parcel of land. Ramos said multiple children under the age of 10 have access to Koertel’s property. The owner of the property, Lad Wentzel, told News10 he did not live there himself, but he had been increasingly suspicious of Koertel, who worked for him and whom Wentzel had allowed to use the property for storage.
Erwim said Koertel booked into Placer County Jail for multiple charges of possession illegal weapons and meth. He was placed in the immigration hold because he is from Germany and not a U.S. citizen.
See more at News10, KCRA 3, KOVR13, and SacBee.com
