Man Denies Throwing Molotov Cocktails At LA Federal Building

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges claiming he threw Molotov cocktails at people inside the downtown Los Angeles Federal building hours after setting his own apartment on fire, according to prosecutors.

Jose Francisco Jovel, 54, of Koreatown, faces five felony charges, including attempted malicious damage of federal property, carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony, and possession of unregistered destructive devices.

Jovel is accused of arriving on the morning of Dec. 1 at the Federal Building, hours after he "had set his Koreatown apartment on fire after receiving an eviction notice," federal prosecutors said in a statement.

While outside the main entrance of the building — which houses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among other agencies — prosectors claim Jovel reached into one of the shopping bags on his bicycle’s handlebars, grabbed a Molotov cocktail from it, and threw the device through the building's sliding door. That door is marked as an employee entrance.

"Jovel then threw another Molotov cocktail through the then-open door of the Federal Building’s public entrance, where a line of members of the public were waiting to go through security to enter the building," reads a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Federal officers quickly arrested Jovel at the scene. Prosecutors claim the shopping bags Jovel had contained a lighter and five additional Molotov cocktails.

"Evidence collected from the scene, including surveillance video, indicates Jovel attempted to light at least one of the devices," prosecutors said.

"During his arrest, Jovel said he was motivated by his anger at the federal government of its immigration policies and actions," the statement reads. "Jovel described his actions as 'a terrorist attack' and said to the officers, 'you’re separating families' – a remark commonly made by opponents of current United States government immigration policies. He then yelled for people to 'start shooting these,' referring to the officers."

If convicted as charged, Jovel would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars, prosectors said.

He remains jailed without bond pending trial tentatively set for Feb. 10.

City News Service contributed to this report.