Share and Follow
In a bizarre and alarming incident near the Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, Los Angeles deputies have taken into custody a 36-year-old man from Arizona. The individual, identified as Sean Steiner of Glendale, was apprehended after allegedly darting through traffic while brandishing a loaded rifle. The weapon was uniquely painted in a style evoking The Joker character from the “Batman” series, complete with a heavy-duty ballistic vest.
Witnesses first noticed Steiner as he was trekking through the area, carrying a duffel bag, a step stool, and a rifle. The unsettling scene then escalated when he reportedly ran into the busy Palos Verdes Drive South around 5 p.m. on March 29, prompting immediate calls to law enforcement.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies discovered that the rifle was strikingly painted in green and purple hues, adorned with the phrase “HA HA HA HA” and the iconic line “Why so serious?”—a nod to the Joker’s infamous words popularized by the late actor Heath Ledger. The rifle’s tip was also painted orange, giving it an appearance akin to a toy gun, according to authorities.
In addition to this, Steiner is accused of discharging a handgun in the nearby brush before his arrest, adding to the list of firearm-related felonies he faces. The Lomita Sheriff’s Station has confirmed these charges as they continue their investigation into the peculiar and potentially dangerous actions of Steiner.
The tip had also been painted orange, “resembling a toy gun,” according to authorities.
“Not only was the rifle loaded with a round in the chamber and a full magazine inserted… he admitted he had just fired one of the pistols near the landslide area to ‘get some anger out,’” according to a statement from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Lomita Station.
The Los Angeles Sheriff Department’s Lomita Station released this image showing a man identified as 36-year-old Arizonan Sean Steiner walking with a Joker-inspired rifle and body armor near a Trump-owned golf course in California. (Lomita Sheriff’s Station)
Steiner’s vest was capable of stopping rifle rounds, according to authorities.
They also said they found two loaded handguns, high-capacity magazines and extra ammo.
“Let that sink in,” authorities wrote. “An armed individual, firing a weapon, walking through traffic and trails… in a populated area.”
The sheriff’s department credited witnesses who called in the sighting before anyone was hurt and reminded the public of the phrase, “if you see something, say something.”
Steiner faces multiple felony firearm charges, authorities said. Jail records show he was booked on March 29 and released on bond on April 1.
A search of Steiner’s name and date of birth in Arizona court records showed only a 2021 speeding ticket for which he was ordered to take a defense driving class.
View of Trump National Golf Club on March 18, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. (RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Public records show he also lived in Wisconsin previously, where a man with his same name and date of birth was found guilty of a misdemeanor drunken driving charge in 2008.
Steiner could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday morning.
<!–>
–>