Man arrested with arsenal of weapons wanted to wipe out Black, Hispanic, Jewish communities

A California man was arrested after law enforcement discovered an arsenal of ammunition and racist writings detailing that he wanted to wipe out Black, Hispanic and Jewish communities, officials said on Thursday.

According to a Thursday press release, Wesley Charles Martines, 32, was apprehended by police in Campbell, Calif., on July 9, following a tip from a local business owner that someone was loitering and looking into vehicles and a storage shed in the area.

Officers reportedly found a handgun, bullets with phrases including “Cop Killer,” “A Good Start” and “To a widow from the Grim Reaper” engraved in them, assault rifles, body armor and an inactive pipe bomb inside of Martines’s car during the time of his arrest.

They also uncovered a journal that included the racist writings and Martines’s alleged plan to “go to sporting goods store, dress up as an employee and tie everybody up.”

“Once again, law enforcement saved lives before the blood and tears flowed,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in the release. “All of us have a role in stopping the next mass shooting, suicide, or domestic violence murder. Please call law enforcement if you know that someone is armed and dangerous.”

Campbell Police Capt. Ian White told CNN that Martines was cooperative with police during his arrest.

“He tried to rationalize everything, insisting there was no ill-intent,” White said.

On Tuesday, Martines was reportedly arraigned in California’s Hall of Justice. He has been charged with possession of drugs, assault weapons and multiple silencers and the making of a pipe bomb, according to police.

His bail has been set at $300,000, according to the release.