Man accused of threatening Mt. Baldy hikers with sledgehammer arrested, deputies say
Patrick Flinn / Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
LOS ANGELES - Deputies have arrested who they called an "extremely dangerous, violent" man who has allegedly been harassing hikers on trails at Mt Baldy and the San Gabriel Mountains over the last several months. Now deputies are searching for any other potential victims.
What we know:
LA County deputies arrested Patrick Flinn on May 16, after an incident on Mt. Baldy. That day, deputies said Flinn stopped a woman on a trail, blocking her way with a tree branch. After he got distracted, deputies said the woman was able to run away and call police.
On Jan. 12, deputies said Flinn threatened a group of five hikers with a sledgehammer. In that case as well, the hikers were able to run away and call the authorities.
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What you can do:
Now, deputies say they're looking for anyone who may have been harassed by Flinn. Anyone with information should call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department San Dimas Station directly at (909) 450-2700.
About 10 a.m. Friday, a woman returning to her vehicle after a hike with her dog at Mount Baldy near Dry Lake Canyon was allegedly confronted by Patrick Flynn, 66. She claims Flynn threw branches and exclaimed that the forest was his home.
What we don't know:
It's unclear how many people have reportedly been victimized by Flinn.
The motive for these attacks is unclear.
What's next:
On Friday, the LA County District Attorney's Office charged Flin with five felony counts of criminal threats and one felony count of false imprisonment.
Flinn has an arraignment scheduled for June 2. He is being held on $295,000 bail.
The Source: Information for this story is from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.