Homemade bomb removed from Basalt residence
The Aspen Times
Eagle County Sheriff’s Office |
A homemade bomb found in a Basalt residence was safely dismantled Sunday and the creator was arrested in Grand Junction, authorities said.
An incident that Basalt police Sgt. Aaron Munch acknowledged was a strange one unfolded early Sunday morning and ultimately involved numerous agencies.
Munch said Dustin Brown, 28, of Basalt, was involved in a domestic dispute that resulted in a car accident at Highway 82 at the Emma Curve at about 3:30 a.m. Brown called 911 but fled the scene, Munch said. Deputies with the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office investigated and arrested the female driver, believed to be Brown’s ex-girlfriend.
While in custody Sunday morning, the woman informed authorities that Brown had created a homemade explosive device at their residence. They live in the Sagewood area, a multi-family residential complex in Basalt.
“After receiving consent to enter the home, the Basalt Police Department and Eagle County Sheriff’s Office were able to locate the device,” said a statement released by the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.
Munch said a bomb squad from Grand Junction was called to the site. They assessed the situation placed the bomb in a container where it was handled safely and taken to a different site. Authorities were able to dismantle the bomb, Munch said.
No information was available on the strength of the device. Munch said it had been in the residence for several days. Nearby residents weren’t evacuated because the risk wasn’t considered to be high, he said.
Brown was arrested Sunday without incident, according to Munch. Arresting officers discovered he had an existing nationwide warrant for his arrest, although it wasn’t immediately clear on what charge.
Munch said the Basalt Police Department wants to send an investigator to interview Brown to see if it can be determined what he wanted to do with the bomb.
The Basalt Police Department, Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, Basalt Fire Department, Grand Junction Bomb Squad, Grand Junction Police Department and Mesa County Sheriff’s Office all worked collaboratively on this incident.
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