NYC police arrest man with cache of weapons, armor, threatening notes

NEW YORK — Police in New York City on Wednesday arrested a man after discovering a cache of weapons, armor and ominous notes in his vehicle during a traffic stop.

Judd Sanson, 27, was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. EDT in the East Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens after officers observed that his black Ford Explorer had a blacked-out license plate, WABC-TV reported.

Sanson was arrested after officers discovered a mask, a ballistic vest embroidered with an NYPD insignia, knives, a machete, handcuffs, a weighted whip, two axes, ammunition, a 9mm Glock handgun, nine loaded magazines, a stun gun, a hatchet, body armor and a Metropolitan Transportation Authority vest, according to WPIX-TV and WNBC-TV.

“He was heavily armed … very dangerous for our community,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey told reporters, WPIX reported.

Sanson was charged with nine counts of criminal possession of a weapon and a loaded firearm, four counts of unlawful possession of an ammunition feed device and one count of an obscured license plate, according to WABC.

According to a photo released by police, Sanson also allegedly had a mask made popular by the movie “V for Vendetta,” WNBC reported. Officials said the loaded firearm was found underneath the driver’s seat and Sanson had a knife in his possession.

Several notes were also found inside the vehicle, police said.

One allegedly stated that the suspect was “sorry,” and that he was going to do something “bad,” WABC reported. Police did not elaborate on the contents of the notes.

The New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and other law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation, WPIX reported.

Maddrey told reporters that it was “too early to tell” if Sanson’s actions were considered a terrorist threat, according to the television station.

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