DARRINGTON — A man is being held after reportedly forcing his way into a Darrington church and stealing musical equipment, wiring and golf balls.
A Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy visited the man’s camper on Jan. 22, not long after the burglary, and found an improvised explosive device wrapped in nails.
The man said he wanted to nail the explosive to a tree and set it off for the Fourth of July, according to the probable cause affidavit.
The man, 40, was arrested on suspicion of burglary. He also is accused of having an explosive without a license, a felony under state law. Charges were filed Wednesday.
The burglary case began after a minister found the Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church in disarray one morning last month. The back door to the basement had been pushed in overnight, according to the affidavit.
Doors to the upstairs offices were forced open, damaging the deadbolts and splintering the door jambs. Items from the desks and closets were thrown across the floor.
Musical equipment was missing from the church’s stage, including several speakers.
The deputy came across the suspect while working another case. The man apparently has been living in a camper.
When the deputy stopped the man, he had a backpack. The deputy asked to take a look. He reportedly found blue bags used for bank deposits with “Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church” and the minister’s name written on them. The backpack also carried the explosive.
Police searched the suspect’s camper and a nearby trailer.
Speakers and mixing boards were stored inside the trailer’s refrigerator. Other electronics belonging to the church were in the camper, according to the affidavit.
Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins@heraldnet.com.
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