Laguna Beach City Hall employees were greatly concerned when they found a craigslist post that reportedly threatened the lives of council members. The Laguna Beach Police Department arrested Michael James Ross for making criminal threats and threats to public officials after he posted several images of a man holding a rifle with the title “Going to Laguna Beach city council with My Gillie suit.” The post went further to say that he would be removing the “tyrants” from office. Detectives arrested the 33-year-old man and his father after a warrant revealed a number of weapons and ammunition. His father, Robert Mason Ross, unsuccessfully ran for the Laguna Beach City Council in 2012. He was arrested for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and is being held on $250,000.
Both men had restraining orders issued against them. They were ordered to stay away from the council and the city manager. Michael Ross was released pending further investigation. It is unclear what prompted his actions against the council. His father was a regular attendee at the council meetings. He spoke out numerous times during the meetings on numerous issues.