Pasadena man arrested, accused of setting off more than 100 illegal explosions

PASADENA, Calif. - A Pasadena man has been arrested, accused of causing at least 150 illegal explosions across the city in the last two years. Community members said they don't believe the longtime resident and local business owner is responsible.

Art Leon Berian was arrested last week while picking up his breakfast at Burrito Express. That's when officers swooped in and took him into custody.

"Everything just unfolded so fast," said owner Deya Orozco. "The boom. Undercover cars were like boom boom. I look over and they're arresting him."

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Pasadena Police said officers were in the area, getting video from another explosion, when they heard an explosion and saw a white cloud of smoke. Detectives said they saw Berian's car pulling up to the area, and he was taken into custody. Inside the car, they said they found evidence connecting him to the explosion.

Officers said Berian can also been seen on security video on an electric scooter, near the scene of another explosion. 

Berian has been charged with three felony counts of possession of explosives with the intent to injure or intimidate. His bail was set at $1.5 million. Police said many of the explosions were reported not from 911 reports, but from a gunshot tracking system installed in the city. Officers told FOX 11 that they'd received 14 reports in the last two weeks alone.

 Neighbors said they couldn't believe that Berian was responsible.

"We heard bangs, but it sounded like fireworks," said one neighbor. "I imagined it was children, teenagers having a good time… I'm very surprised."