Self-Proclaimed ‘Angel Of Death’ Arrested After Threatening California Abbey
A 38-year-old man who called himself the “Angel of Death” allegedly threatened to carry out an attack on a Southern California monastery after driving there from Alabama, authorities said.
Joshua Michael Richardson, 38, was arrested after threatening St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, about 50 miles south of Los Angeles. Richardson has been charged on suspicion of committing three felonies, making criminal threats, possession of brass knuckles and possession of a dirk or dagger, according to a criminal complaint filed by Orange County prosecutors.
Richardson declared himself the “rider of the pale horse” and vowing to “do the Lord’s reaping” at the church in an email sent to the abbey on Aug. 19, prosecutors said.
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The phrase is a reference to the Book of Revelation, where the rider of the pale horse is associated with death and destruction at the end of times.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer condemned the threat in a statement on Wednesday, saying, “The walls of our churches are not just symbols of sanctuary; they represent the most sacred places of worship and of peace. No one should have to worship in fear.”
According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Richardson drove from his hometown of Jemison, Ala., to the abbey, arriving on Aug. 26. After attending Mass there, he allegedly followed a priest into a restricted area and told him he was there to “separate the weak from the weeds” and had come to do God’s work.
“A threat on one house of worship is an attack on every place of worship,” Spitzer said.
Church officials reported the threat to law enforcement, prompting a swift response from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Richardson was arrested two days later in nearby Santa Monica, where authorities recovered an array of weapons and gear from his truck, including six high-capacity magazines, brass knuckles, a sword, multiple knives, a stun gun, body armor, duct tape, rope, walkie-talkies and other tactical equipment. No firearms were found.
Richardson is currently being held in Orange County jail on a $50,000 bond.
St. Michael’s Abbey is home to a monastic community made up of over 60 priests and more than 40 seminarians studying for the priesthood.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor at Religion Unplugged.