Homemade bomb maker arrested for blowing up device near Bedford bridge
The Bedford Police Department has arrested a 37-year-old man and charged him with two felonies after police say he detonated an explosive device along Forest Ridge Drive on Wednesday afternoon.
Police responded to the scene and found the exploded device and other suspicious materials, but the suspect had fled the scene. They closed down the area and called for the regional NEFDA bomb squad to assist in the investigation.
A suspicious device was denotated by the bomb squad late Wednesday night, but the roadway remained closed while engineers assessed the Forest Ridge bridge to ensure it was still structurally sound.
Numerous local and federal law enforcement personnel determined a 37-year-old resident was the suspect in the case. He was arrested by SWAT officers early Thursday morning. Reports indicate he was also arrested back in February for containing explosive devices and materials inside his Hurst apartment. He later bonded out.
After the Wednesday incident, he has been charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a first-degree felony, and Possession of Components of Explosives, a third-degree felony.
“While there were no specific targeted individuals or injured parties, the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge relates to the risk posed to the members of the public who were in the immediate vicinity when the incident occurred.”
The investigation is ongoing.
