Two Pierce County men caught with homemade bomb

GIG HARBOR, Wash. — Police say they discovered a homemade bomb in a car. Now, two South Sound men are in custody thanks to observant officers.

Police arrested the men at about midnight last night at 54th Avenue and Bujacich Road in Gig Harbor.

That area has been plagued by burglaries over the last two weeks.

The car that got the attention of a Gig Harbor police officer was parked at midnight in a wooded area that is home to several businesses that have been burglarized.

“I don’t know exactly what other local businesses have been targeted,” said Gig Harbor Officer Eddy Dominguez. “But I know our local city shops have been targeted within the last two weeks. And officers have responded to multiple alarms, as well.”

Dominguez says his fellow officer discovered one man was in the vehicle and another was standing nearby, texting.

That was suspicious to the officer. “It was,” he said.

What also made the officer suspicious is that the road where they were stopped leads to a path that leads to the Public Works Department.

The officer called for backup. When other officers arrived, they approached the vehicle.

“One of the officers noticed there was an improvised explosive device on the door panel of the vehicle,” said Dominguez. “It was a firework that had been made or turned into a pipe bomb.”

Dominguez says the men admitted it was homemade, but they did not say how they planned to use it. Still, the officers are being credited with good, old-fashioned police work.

“Because of them, we were able to locate these two men who were apparently up to no good,” said Dominguez. “And we were able to get this explosive device off the streets. We don’t know where it could have been used. And we’re just glad we were able to locate them.”

We found that the men have pretty extensive rap sheets. They are both just 23 years old.

One of them was also wanted on a felony warrant out of Mason County.

They are expected to make a first court appearance tomorrow.

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