CEDAR CITY — Cedar City residents may have been a bit startled Sunday afternoon when the Washington County Bomb Squad detonated several incendiary devices discovered in a vehicle during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 15.
Just before 3 p.m., Utah Highway Patrol stopped a car on northbound I-15 at milepost 61 for driving 90 mph in a 75 mph zone, UHP Trooper Clay Allred said. Upon reaching the driver’s window, Allred said he smelled the odor of marijuana and performed a probable cause search of the car.
“I found some marijuana and paraphernalia in the car, continued to search, and in the back trunk area found a total of six small homemade incendiary explosive devices,” Allred said.
While five of the explosives were in a Pelican case, Allred said, one of the devices was “free-floating” in the trunk.
Allred called the Cedar City Fire Department, notified other law enforcement agencies, then called the Washington County Bomb Squad.
The bomb squad members took the explosives off the freeway just northeast of the Loves Travel Stop off Exit 62 outside of Cedar City, Allred said, and detonated them. The location was not new to members of the bomb squad, Allred said, who had done some operations there in the past.
“… So they knew it was a safe area,” Allred said.
After interviewing the woman who was driving and her passenger, identified as 28-year-old Daniel Siqueiros, Allred said the woman denied knowing about the devices and was arrested on drug-related charges and a traffic offense. Siqueiros took responsibility for the incendiary devices and was placed under arrest.
Allred described Siqueiros as a “survivalist” type, adding that Siqueiros told him he created the devices as a hobby, and Allred did not believe Siqueiros intended any harm with the devices.
Allred described one as a homemade soft-shell grenade made up of one film canister stuffed with explosives and wrapped with tinfoil and duct tape. The other four were described as four little balls consisting of a small amount of explosive molded into clay, then wrapped in tinfoil. Allred said none of the devices resembled pipe bombs.
The woman was cited and released on charges for speeding, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, Allred said.
Siqueiros was arrested and booked into the Iron County Jail on two third-degree felony charges for possession/construction of an infernal device and probation/parole violations; and two class B misdemeanors for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
St. George News reporter Devan Chavez contributed to this report.
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Al cada?
“…Siqueiros told him he created the devices as a hobby, and Allred did not believe Siqueiros intended any harm with the devices.”
What a crock. A hobby? Maybe he should take up needlepoint instead.
I have 3 ICBM’s fully armed and ready to launch at my command.. But don’t worry about it. It’s just a hobby and don’t worry about that nuclear reactor in my basement. It’s just something I built in my spare time. LOL.!
Hahaha dex…..hobby: making bombs…..in another story a lady’s hobby is making counterfeit money and selling heroin…. It’s share your hobby day.
dropped from a drone, no doubt
“Allred described Siqueiros as a “survivalist” type, adding that Siqueiros told him he created the devices as a hobby, and Allred did not believe Siqueiros intended any harm with the devices.”
Officer Allred discerned that this man was a “survivalist” type? By what means?
I’d like a little elaboration on his speculation, otherwise I will be compelled to presume that this officer lumps “druggie-bombmaker-felons” into the same category as “prepper-sustainability minded” folks….in which case, the officer should be seen as a menace to society.