On Wednesday, authorities at the Palm Beach County Courthouse arrested Joshua John Mota, a 39-year-old man from Boynton Beach, for carrying a loaded weapon into the building. According to CBS12, the incident occurred around 10:18 a.m. during routine security screening. Mota entered the courthouse with a small black bag containing a Smith and Wesson 9mm semiautomatic pistol, which had a magazine with seven rounds, one of which was in the chamber.
The weapon was discovered through X-ray screening, leading to Mota’s immediate detainment. He was charged with bringing a firearm into a courthouse. In a post-Miranda interview, Mota admitted to carrying the gun but claimed it was accidental and that he forgot to leave it out of his bag. WPBF reported that Mota was at the courthouse in connection with a previous arrest for unlawful firearm possession.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the entire incident, including the discovery of the weapon and Mota's interview, was recorded on body cameras. Mota's claim that he brought the gun unintentionally was noted in the arrest report but did not reduce the severity of his security breach. Mota was taken to Palm Beach County Jail.
