Man arrested with explosive devices, “homemade cannon” in Lake Elsinore

LAKE ELSINORE – A Lake Elsinore resident was arrested for possession of multiple explosive devices Wednesday, August 24. The arrest came after deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Lake Elsinore Police Station responded to a reported assault with a deadly weapon at an address in the 200 block of E. Graham Avenue.

Anthony Cheek was arrested in Lake Elsinore for two counts related to possession of a destructive device.

After a thorough investigation, Anthony Cheek, 60, of Lake Elsinore, was arrested and transported to the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta, where he was booked for two counts related to possession of a destructive device.

The investigation into the assault with a deadly weapon began about 7:20 p.m. Witnesses told investigating deputies a white SUV parked on E. Graham was possibly connected to the assault investigation, according to Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Brett Seckinger.

During their investigation, deputies located and contacted three occupants of the SUV and detained them for further investigation.

Although deputies determined the three people they had detained were not involved in the initial assault investigation, during their investigation they located “several items deemed to be homemade cannon projectile devices…in the vehicle,” Seckinger explained.

“The devices were left undisturbed in the vehicle and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Hazardous Device Team was called to the scene,” Seckinger explained in a press release about the incident and arrest. “The devices, which included black powder and fuse materials posed no imminent danger to residents in the area.”

A jail record search revealed Cheek was booked into jail on suspicion of possession of a destructive device and possession of a destructive device in a pubic place. Both are felony charges.

Cheek is being held in lieu of $35,000. He is scheduled to be seen at the Southwest Justice Center Aug 26.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Officer Petersen of the Lake Elsinore Police Department at (951) 245-3300 or Deputy Schneider of the Hazardous Devices Team at (951) 955-1700. Callers can refer to incident file number L162370122 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.