A man was arrested in the explosion of two bombs hours apart on Wednesday and Thursday in Weare, New Hampshire, authorities said Friday.
Dale Stewart, 54, is facing multiple charges in the incidents, which gave a man minor injuries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Webster resident had another pipe bomb in his possession at the time, Weare police said.
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"A fully constructed inferno device, aka pipe bomb, was seized" in a search of his vehicle and residence after Stewart was detained about 6 p.m. Thursday, police said in a statement. New Hampshire State Police helped "neutralize" the bomb.
Stewart faced six state charges in Hillsborough Superior Court Friday, where a judge ordered he be held without bail pending a mental health evaluation. On Friday evening, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire announced federal charges against him as well; he's due in court to face those on Tuesday.
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Stewart's attorney told the judge while arguing for bail that the man has been through a lot and needs mental health treatment.
The explosions took place on rural streets in Weare, a town of less than 10,000 that's west of Manchester, in the space of about 13 hours, authorities said Thursday, during the search for the bomber.
When he was first interviewed by police, Stewart admitted to making the the devices, out of PVC pipe, muzzle-loader powder and a cannon fuse, according to a court document. He allegedly called it a "big firecracker."
One person was hit with shrapnel in the second explosion, which took place before 7 a.m. Thursday morning about 6:50 a.m. on Sugar Hill Road just north of Concord Stage Road, but wasn't badly hurt, authorities said.
"If he had been just seconds slower and getting back to his car, you would never know exactly what could have happened," Assistant County Attorney Matt Cessna said in court Friday.
The explosive devices were similar but are not believed to have been targeting anyone or anything, the ATF had said.
Craig Waldron, who came across the second bomb, described it as a PVC pipe with a blast so strong it blew out the side window of his van and with shrapnel kitting his face, causing minor injuries.
“It was loud, like someone was setting a cannon off on the Fourth of July,” he said. “I slowed down, looked at it. I really couldn’t see much and then I started rolling away, and then, ‘Bang!’ And it blew my window out.”
A neighbor felt the explosion yards away.
“I felt the shockwave on my body and my face,” Thomas Loeff said.
No one was hurt in the first explosion, about 6:10 p.m. Wednesday near a home on Dustin Tavern Road — New Hampshire Route 77 — south of Deering Center Road, according to police.
