Santa Maria Man Pleads Guilty in 2024 Courthouse Bombing

Nathaniel James McGuire, 22, pleaded guilty to federal charges — meaning U.S. national law, not state — for setting off a homemade bomb in the Santa Maria courthouse on September 24, 2024. The explosion injured three people and caused $35,000 in damage. He faces up to life in prison. Sentencing is set for March 1, 2027.