A heavily armed Glendale man, Sean Steiner, is facing multiple felony firearm charges after deputies say he wandered into a high-profile Los Angeles-area neighborhood dressed in body armor and carrying a collection of weapons, including a rifle styled with “Joker” imagery and phrases.
The incident unfolded along Palos Verdes Drive South near the luxury Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, after a caller alerted authorities to a man wearing rifle-rated body armor near hiking trails.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Steiner had earlier been seen hiking the area with gloves, a duffle bag, a step stool and a rifle while wearing protective gear capable of stopping rifle rounds.
Things escalated when deputies later found him running through traffic before taking him into custody.
At the time of his arrest about a week ago, officials say Steiner was armed with a loaded semi-automatic short-barreled rifle, round already chambered and magazine fully loaded, as well as a loaded revolver.
The rifle was painted green and purple and marked with phrases including “Why so serious?” and “Let’s put a smile on that face,” giving it a distinct “Joker”-style appearance.
Investigators also recovered additional firepower, including two loaded handguns, high-capacity magazines, extra ammunition, a ballistic vest and an AR-style pistol with an orange tip designed to resemble a toy weapon.
Deputies further allege Steiner admitted to firing one of the pistols in a nearby landslide area shortly before his arrest, saying he was trying to “get some anger out.”
Authorities credited a quick-thinking caller and the “See Something, Say Something” initiative for helping prevent a potentially dangerous situation from escalating, noting that deputies were able to intervene in a populated area before anyone was injured.
Other recent incidents at Trump’s Rancho Palos Verdes site include a “No Kings” protest in March where opposing demonstrators squared off, and an assault where a man was knocked unconscious reported in December 2024.
In Florida, the Secret Service fatally shot Austin Tucker Martin at Mar-a-Lago in February 2026, and Ryan Wesley Routh was recently sentenced to life for a 2024 assassination attempt in West Palm Beach.
