nothin “Explosives” Were Fireworks | New Haven Independent

Explosives” Were Fireworks

Melissa Bailey Photo

Chief Limon briefs reporters at the scene.

Thomas MacMillan Photo

(Updated: 4:04 p.m.) Police found some fireworks while searching a house near Edgewood Park originally believed to contain a cache of explosives. A continuing search may have turned up some weapons, too. Meanwhile, a 26-year-old first-floor tenant is being questioned by police.

Police spokesman Officer Joe Avery said in a release Thursday afternoon that police found a small cache of large m‑80 and m100 type fireworks” in the house.

The investigation is ongoing, Avery said.

One officer at the scene said police may have found some weapons in the house too. It was unclear Thursday afternoon if the weapons were legal, or what kind they were.

Those were the latest developments in a drama that began Wednesday night.

The fire department responded at 9:16 p.m. to a report of smoke coming out of 17 Hubinger St., between Elm Street and West Park Avenue near Edgewood Park.

They took care of the smoke — and discovered what at the time appeared to be a bunch of explosives” and improvised explosive devices,” according to police spokesman Officer Joe Avery.

The police department’s hazardous device unit showed up at the scene. So did patrol officers, detectives, and FBI agents.

Thomas MacMillan Photo

On Thursday morning, crime scene tape surrounded the house. Also taped off was a black pickup truck across the street from the house. A pile of rakes, shovels, and other tools were piled in the street behind the truck.

The truck belongs to one of the two new first-floor tenants, two guys in their late 20s who just moved into 17 Hubinger on Sunday in the rain, according to a neighbor.

The tenants didn’t look fishy, he said. These kids look like all-American boys.”

The neighbor, who declined to be named, watched from his window at noon Thursday as police moved around at the front of 17 Hubinger.

Thomas MacMillan Photo

Police had the street cordoned off at Edgewood and Elm.

Police waited until they had a search warrant to fully explore the premises and remove dangerous materials, Avery said. As of 12:15 p.m., police had begun searching the home.

Police found a few fireworks, but nothing more serious than that, according to Avery. The search was still under way.

In a 10 a.m. press avail with reporters, Police Chief Frank Limon said the public was in no immediate danger.

We do not classify it as a terrorist activity,” Limon said.

A second-floor tenant called the fire department to report the smoke coming from the first floor Wednesday night.

Firefighters evacuated the house. The first-floor apartment, where the explosives were found, was empty.

One tenant, a 26-year-old male, turned himself in midday Thursday for questioning, Avery said.

The two-family home, built in 1900, is owned by 17 Hubinger Street LLC. A message left with its principal, Brandon Ranciato, was not immediately returned.

The neighbor said that he has surveillance footage from his home stemming back from when his new neighbors moved in. He said he reviewed the past couple of days of tape, and saw just normal movement.”

I didn’t see anything on my video that would indicate anything wrong,” the neighbor said. He said he was sleeping at the time of the fire.

I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and noticed that the house … was completely surrounded by police tape,” he said. Later that morning, he got personal visits in his home from the police chief and an FBI agent. He said the authorities never mentioned that there were explosives next door, and did not offer to help him relocate to a safe place.

They’re really not letting loose any information,” he said.

The neighbor said he is concerned for the safety of his grandkids, ages 1 and 4.

The kids upstairs are my main concern,” he said.

The street remained blocked off Thursday morning as cops searched the home.

Cops called in the FBI as normal protocol” because explosives were found, Limon said.

Sign up for our morning newsletter

Don't want to miss a single Independent article? Sign up for our daily email newsletter! Click here for more info.


Post a Comment

Commenting has closed for this entry

Comments

Avatar for MOMS

Avatar for cnichols2000@yahoo.com

Avatar for cedarhillresident!

Avatar for Clarification

Avatar for jeffreykerekes

Avatar for cnichols2000@yahoo.com