Charges unfounded, says man accused of hoarding weapons

A Calabasas man is firing back after being arrested last month on a number of felony weapons charges.

Although Michael Bruce O'Connell, a 57yearold resident of the Calabasas Highlands neighborhood, admits to keeping a number of weapons and explosive devices in his home, he claims they were part of an extensive collection and that he had no plans to harm anyone.

O'Connell was arrested July 14 on eight felony counts of possessing weapons, destructive devices and ingredients to make destructive devices.

According to Detective F. Bausmith of the Lost Hills Sheriff's Station, deputies came to the man's home after a neighbor—whom O'Connell says is an ex-girlfriend—complained that the weapons were a violation of a restraining order she had issued against him.

"I did have a gun collection and a bad relationship gone wrong," O'Connell said. "I had a girlfriend and she got muffed at me. . . . But these things about bombs and stuff like it, that's not true."

O'Connell said he used a hidden room to store his weapons collection and said he "made the mistake" of showing the room to his ex-girlfriend.

"I've been shooting since I was 18," O'Connell said. "I like to target shoot. If you understand, you do; if you don't get it, you just don't."

Charges against O'Connell were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court at Van Nuys.

Bausmith had said O'Connell was arraigned and failed to post his $5-million bail; however, O'Connell's attorney, Jeffrey Weiss, said there was a typographical error on the report and that bail was originally set at $500,000, not $5 million. It was reduced to $250,000; O'Connell posted the funds, and he's now back at home.

Weiss said the issue to be decided in court is whether the weapons in O'Connell's collection are legal.

The lawyer didn't say why his client was charged with possessing active explosive devices and the ingredients to make them.

"I do believe we can explain it all away," Weiss said. "But not now. I don't want the (district attorney) to think we are trying to try our case in the newspaper. I don't want to give all our arguments. I'll just have to ask the public to believe what they want at this point."

Among the weapons was a machine gun and a muzzle silencer.