Police say device in Meridian bomb hoax looked like dynamite
KTVB.COM
Posted on March 15, 2012 at 5:32 PM
Updated today at 5:57 PM
MERIDIAN – Thirty families are asking questions today after being displaced for hours Wednesday because of a bomb scare at a Meridian trailer park that ended up being a hoax.
We know it cost the Meridian Police Department a lot time and money to investigate the incident.
Timothy Lawrence, 49, the man accused of making that device, faced a judge Thursday to hear the felony charges against him.
Police and FBI say Lawrence told a handful of people that he built a bomb, and that when the time was right, he was going to call police and blow it up.
Meridian Police officers and FBI agents responded Wednesday to what they say was very credible information about a bomb in a trailer at the Rose Circle Trailer Park.
"Whenever something comes to play that has to deal with explosives we have to take extreme caution," said Meridian Police Deputy Chief Tracy Basterrechea.
Based on their information, police and bomb technicians estimated the device had a potential blast radius of 500 feet, and that led police to evacuate 30 families in the trailer park.
When a bomb detecting robot didn't fit through the door, technicians had to go inside and search the trailer, eventually discovering the device was a hoax.
"It appears to be several flares that were put together to look like several sticks of dynamite. My understanding is it looked like a fairly sophisticated device," said Basterrechea.
The FBI caught up with their suspect, Timothy Lawrence, Wednesday afternoon before they evacuated the neighborhood and moved on the home. Lawrence was driving a truck that he borrowed from a neighbor.
Lawrence made his first court appearance Thursday afternoon.
"He made these statements to sources saying that he wanted to take out law enforcement," said Ada County prosecuting attorney Katherine McNulty.
At times during his arraignment Lawrence shook his head. Other times he buried it in his arms.
After the judge set his bond at $ 300,000, he whispered to his defense attorney he thought it was "ridiculous."
Lawrence's neighbors are back in their Meridian homes talking about what happened Wednesday.
"It was frustrating. I don't understand why anybody, anyone would want to plant, even a fake bomb and scare people. I mean, come on look at this, for pity sakes," said William Rine.
The hoax wound up costing law enforcement upwards of tens of thousands of dollars.
"Just a lot of money put out because of the stupidity of some people," said Basterrechea.
If Lawrence is convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison for possessing a hoax device.
He is due back in court later this month for a preliminary hearing.
A second man was arrested Wednesday.
Jesse Delgado, 46, is charged with possession of meth.
Delgado is Lawrence's roommate, but police don't believe he had anything to do with the bomb hoax. The landlord says he had only been there for a couple of days.
Delgado was arraigned Thursday on the drug charge. His bond was set at $ 100,000. He faces seven years in prison if convicted.
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