LOS ANGELES — A suspect was in custody Wednesday night after federal and local agents seized more than 1,000 weapons at a home in one of the richest neighborhoods in the country, authorities said. The man, whom Los Angeles police later identified as Girard Damien Saenz, 57, was held on suspicion of unlawful transportation and giving, lending or selling an assault weapon, said Lt. Chris Ramirez, a police spokesman. Saenz was released on $50,000 bond on Thursday. Police and agents of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives discovered the rifles and pistols while serving a search warrant at the residence in the Holmby Hills area of west Los Angeles. The weapons were taken from the home near the famous intersection of Beverly and Sunset boulevards in a joint ATF-police investigation. Real estate listings offered homes for sale at an average price of more than $17 million this week in the neighborhood, which is part of Los Angeles' Platinum Triangle. "We recovered over a thousand weapons of various makes, models and calibers — rifles, shotguns, pistols," Ramirez said, describing the array as "basically a stash or pile." "It's just beyond comprehension that somebody can have so many weapons in a residence like this in a neighborhood like this," Ramirez said. Many famous performers and artists have made Holmby Hills their home, among them Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Bing Crosby, Gary Cooper, Walt Disney and the power couple of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It's not the first time a veritable armory has been found at a tony home in westside Los Angeles. Four years ago, authorities discovered a private collection of tons of ammunition and a cache of guns at a condominium unit in the Pacific Palisades area. Authorities valued that private collection at a $500,000 to $1 million.<doc-sep>A man was arrested Wednesday after authorities seized more than 1,000 guns from a home in Holmby Hills, authorities said. Officials received an anonymous tip about a person illegally manufacturing and selling guns in a home in the 100 block of North Beverly Glen Boulevard, said Officer Mike Lopez, a spokesman with the Los Angeles Police Department. As part of an ongoing joint investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the LAPD served a search warrant at the home at 4 a.m., he said. The ATF said in a statement that its agents searched the home after discovering an individual illegally selling firearms “outside the scope of the federal firearm license that the individual possesses.” Advertisement The federal agency added: “ATF and LAPD have no reason to believe the public is in any danger.” The man was arrested on suspicion of unlawful transportation, and of giving, lending or selling an assault weapon, according to the LAPD. Video footage showed what appeared to be ATF officials reviewing the trove of guns, most of which look to be rifles and pistols, stacked on the floor. Officials can be seen going through and disposing of boxes and taking photographs of the evidence. Authorities also found a large amount of firearms manufacturing equipment and tools. Law enforcement sources said that multiple locations were searched Wednesday. A second home was searched on North Bunker Hill Avenue in Los Angeles. The Bel-Air mansion is described as a hoarder’s paradise. Court records show that the property is owned by Cynthia Beck, who has three daughters with J. Paul Getty’s son Gordon Getty. Beck bought the property in January 2001, but it remained unclear what, if any, connection she had to Wednesday’s events. Beck could not be reached for comment. As TV news helicopters hovered Wednesday evening, about a dozen reporters and photographers crowded around the small driveway, waiting for updates from the LAPD. Traffic increased during rush hour, and drivers frequently paused to ask reporters what had happened at the home. Tour vans full of customers passed by as well, taking tourists to see the nearby Playboy Mansion and other celebrity homes in the upscale area. Hip-hop power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé live in a mansion that sits less than a mile from where Wednesday’s incident occurred. Times staff writer Neal J. Leitereg, archivist James Kim and photographer Myung Chun contributed to this report. Advertisement alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com Twitter: @r_valejandra<doc-sep>Today’s Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy<doc-sep>
The owner is expected to be charged with several gun offenses. A man in Los Angeles' posh Holmby Hills neighborhood was hiding a stash of weapons large enough to outfit an army. The Los Angeles Police Department busted Girard Damien Saenz, 57, with as many as 1,000 weapons piled up in his home. Authorities also found massive stockpiles of ammunition. Saenz, who was living in the home alone, was booked for unlawful transportation and giving, lending or selling assault weapons. Additional charges may be added later, including federal charges, authorities said. He is being held on $50,000 bond. "I had never seen so many weapons in my career of 31 years," said LAPD Lt. Chris Ramirez. "That's such a big arsenal in a residence like this, in this type of neighborhood. It's astounding." Holmby Hills is bordered by the Beverly Hills and Bel Air neighborhoods and is home to the late Aaron Spelling's massive $85 million mansion and the Playboy Mansion. Officials removed all of the guns -- hundreds of rifles, semiautomatics, handguns and even antique Civil War-era guns -- and piled them up outside the man's home. Officials spent the entire afternoon cataloging the humongous stash of firearms. Ramirez called the cache of weapons "beyond comprehension" in a press conference Wednesday. He said the large house was cluttered with piles of guns and ammunition spread throughout different rooms. Saenz apparently was licensed to own weapons -- and there is no prohibition on the number of guns a person can own -- but the person was selling the guns illegally, according to police. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) assisted in the operation. ABC News' Marilyn Heck contributed to this report.