SLO man charged with hate crime after threatening to bomb synagogues, police say

A San Luis Obispo man was arrested on Friday after he allegedly threatened to bomb “every synagogue in a 20-mile radius.” The San Luis Obispo Police Department was notified by the Western States Information Network, a law enforcement entity that provides criminal intelligence to law enforcement, that Elijah King, 36, made a threatening post on X on Aug. 28., the agency said in a news release.

In the post, King wrote, “I’m going to blow up every synagogue in a 20-mile radius. This is a real threat, call the police and report me for terrorism,” police said. X removed the post for violating its terms of service, and San Luis Obispo detectives began an investigation, police said.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office filed charges again King on Wednesday, accusing. him of making a felony false bomb threat with a sentencing enhancement for it being a hate crime, court records show. The charges came after “an extensive investigation,” police said.

Read more: San Luis Obispo Tribune