Homemade Explosive Arrest

Maryland man charged with having homemade explosive


HANCOCK, Md. (AP) – Maryland fire investigators have arrested a man on charges that he tried to detonate a homemade explosive in an apartment parking lot.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal said in a release that the improvised explosive device was found early Dec. 30 in the parking lot of a Washington County apartment complex. The bomb squad determined the device was functional, but rendered it safe without damage or injuries.

On Friday, authorities executed a search warrant in Salisbury and arrested a suspect accused of trying to detonate the device. Michael Joseph Thorn, 51, is charged with possessing a destructive device.

He’s being held pending a hearing Monday. Authorities didn’t immediately respond to an email asking about motive or whether Thorn has an attorney. No phone listing for Thorn could be found in an online records search.