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Mesa Home Booby-Trapped With Explosives

POSTED: 6:45 pm MST July 17, 2007
UPDATED: 12:24 pm MST July 18, 2007

Residents who were evacuated from an East Valley neighborhood on Tuesday are searching for answers after a man sheriff's deputies have in custody led them to a house booby-trapped with explosives, according Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy Doug Matteson.

Deputies said a tip came in on Saturday that authorities would find explosives at the home near Broadway Road and Ellsworth Road in Mesa.

When deputies arrived at the home, they found a number of improvised-explosive devices, according to Matteson.

David Hoskins, 31, was arrested and later told investigators where they would find more explosives.

When deputies arrived back at the scene on Tuesday, they found the home had been booby-trapped, according to Matteson.

Ten homes were evacuated and the neighborhood was roped off with crime tape.

At least one briefcase was found containing a pipe bomb and TATP, a white crystalline powder that is highly explosive, Matteson said.

"We have a couple fo different devices hooked up to the briefcase that we believe could set this off," Matteson said. "There are different wires connected to the briefcase."

Deputies said they were able to discern what was inside the briefcase through X-rays and the help of bomb technicians.

They also found fertilizer and diesel, Matteson said.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Air Force authorities deployed robots to dismantle the devices.

No one was injured, according to deputies.

Deputies said Hoskins told them he wanted to blow up a tree.

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