Newark man charged in ‘pipe bomb’ incident
A Newark man faces a felony charge after two bombs were found in Newark on Tuesday morning.
Kristopher R. Porter, 30, of Newark, was charged with unlawful possession of a dangerous ordinance - illegally manufacturing or possessing explosives, a second-degree felony, in Licking County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday.
Around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Newark police responded to a vehicle crash in the area of 49 Prospect Street. The agency said a gray 2005 Chevy SUV struck the back of a parked car in front of that address and a witness reported immediately after the crash, a white male subject fled the home and ran toward Gainor Avenue.
Searching the SUV, Newark police found two pipe bombs in the front seat area of the vehicle. They also found a driver’s license belonging to Porter, who police say the witness identified as the man who fled the scene.
Newark police got a search warrant for Porter’s residence and afterward, took Porter into custody. During an interview with police, the agency said Porter admitted to crashing the SUV and fleeing the scene of the crash.
Police said they found “further evidence of materials used to make explosive devices” at Porter’s home
Police said Porter admitted the two pipe bombs in the vehicle were his and that he’d built them on an earlier day. The agency said Porter said he used a regular pipe to build the body and gun powder for the explosive inside.
Newark police and fire, along with Newark’s Special Operations Group, and the Columbus bomb squad were called to the scene. The Licking County Sheriff’s Office SWAT unit was also on scene.
Newark Police Sgt. Chuck Wilhelm said the Columbus bomb squad took both pipe bombs into their custody and would detonate them at some point.
Police evacuated homes around the area as a precaution, but at 1:56 p.m., they reported the incident was over and it was safe to return to the area.
Although another person was detained by Newark police on Tuesday, Wilhelm said charges were only filed against Porter.
According to the criminal complaint, the Licking County Sheriff’s Office are requesting Porter be held on a $250,000 bond. They cited an extensive felony record, extensive prison time previously served, and that Porter was on bond when the violation occurred. They also described Porter as a flight risk.
A grand jury will review the case for possible indictment and possible additional charges. If convicted, Porter faces up to eight years in prison and up to a $15,000 fine.