| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
LOS ANGELES (AP) Two foreign nationals were arrested after a lengthy investigation related to a bomb threat against a theater in Hollywood, police said.
Medhi Daghighialamoudi, of Iran, and Anton Victor Pismarov, of Russia, were both arrested in connection with two anonymous letters warning police about a potential attack against the Kodak Theater, said Officer Grace Brady, a police spokeswoman.
The letters, received by police in June, named Daghighialamoudi and said he was planning to use a car bomb device at the theater. Police searched his home and vehicle at the time and found nothing.
In September, a man who had purchased a Ford Explorer that once belonged to Daghighialamoudi found two live hand grenades hidden in the vehicle's undercarriage.
Police linked the car to Daghighialamoudi, who had since been arrested on an immigration violation and posted bond, and interviewed him again. He told them Pismarov was involved in the grenade plot, and police arrested him for placement of an explosive device, Brady said.
Daghighialamoudi was also arrested, on unrelated charges of forgery and grand theft. Detectives said he was embezzling from the owners of apartment buildings he managed.
The LAPD's anti-terrorist division is continuing the investigation.