SLO man charged with hate crime after threatening to bomb synagogues, police say
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Man arrested after posting threat to bomb every synagogue within 20 miles.
- X removed the post; police investigated; charged with felony false bomb threat
- DA filed hate-crime enhancement; suspect jailed with $50,000 bail pending.
A San Luis Obispo man was arrested on Friday after he allegedly threatened to bomb “every synagogue in a 20-mile radius.”
The San Luis Obispo Police Department was notified by the Western States Information Network, a law enforcement entity that provides criminal intelligence to law enforcement, that Elijah King, 36, made a threatening post on X on Aug. 28., the agency said in a news release.
In the post, King wrote, “I’m going to blow up every synagogue in a 20-mile radius. This is a real threat, call the police and report me for terrorism,” police said.
X removed the post for violating its terms of service, and San Luis Obispo detectives began an investigation, police said.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office filed charges again King on Wednesday, accusing him of making a felony false bomb threat with a sentencing enhancement for it being a hate crime, court records show. The charges came after “an extensive investigation,” police said.
Detectives found King in a parking lot on the 3900 block of South Higuera Street and arrested him without incident. He was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail, where he remained in custody as of Friday afternoon with a $50,000 bail.
The Police Department thanked both the District Attorney’s Office and the local Jewish community for their cooperation and assistance with the investigation.
Anyone with additional information on the investigation is asked to contact Det. Marques at 805-594-8060.
This story was originally published October 24, 2025 at 5:34 PM.
