WASHINGTON

An armed man who threatened Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was arrested early Wednesday near the justice's Maryland home, the top court confirmed.

The man was arrested at Kavanaugh's Chevy Chase home at around 1:50 a.m. local time, court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in a statement. The individual, whom it did not identify, was taken into custody by police in Montgomery County, which is just outside of Washington, D.C.

The court did not offer additional details, and the Montgomery County Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But multiple reports cited anonymous sources who identified the man as a California resident in his 20s.

He was reportedly armed with a handgun, knife and pepper spray, and was stopped near Kavanaugh's home after arriving nearby in a taxi, according to NBC News. It cited anonymous authorities who said the man told police he was there to kill Kavanaugh.

The justice's home was the site of demonstrations last month following the publication of a leaked Supreme Court draft majority opinion that would overturn 50 years of federal abortion protections should it become official. Kavanaugh is one of five justices who were part of the tentative majority opinion.

While the Supreme Court verified the draft's authenticity in the wake of the exceptionally rare leak, it maintained that no decision is final.

An official decision is expected to be published before the court's current term ends in late June or early July and the draft could see significant revisions in the interim. Justices could also change their positions as the draft circulates.

Security has been ramped up at justices' homes and the Supreme Court after Politico published the draft.

Initial indications suggest the man was angered by the draft, as well as recent mass shootings, the Washington Post newspaper reported, citing two individuals familiar with the investigations. Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.