Crime & Safety

Tips Lead to Arrest of Trenton Bomb Suspect

Tips provided to the ATF and Trenton Police Department led to the capture of a man wanted for the April bomb scares in Trenton.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested a man in Flat Rock on Tuesday who was wanted in connection with in Trenton due to tips provided to the ATF and .

The man is currently in federal custody with the ATF.

William Temple, special agent in charge for the ATF, declined to discuss what charges the man might face, but said the man might have been arraigned shortly after ATF agents arrested him.

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The United States attorney's office, which handles arraignment information, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Temple said the ATF and Trenton police received a number of tips Monday night after releasing the man's photo and description to local media outlets.

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"The tips provided us information and the identification of the suspect," Temple said.

ATF agents arrived at the suspect's father-in-law's home in the 26700 block of Frontier Circle at about 3 a.m. Tuesday to observe the house. Agents then made contact with the homeowner at about noon and took his son-in-law into custody soon thereafter.

After searching the house, Temple said, agents found multiple items that would be consistent with what "they need to follow up with in our examination and our investigation."

Temple declined to elaborate on what agents found in the house.

Agents evacuated about 10 nearby houses inside Deerfield Estates at about 1 p.m.

"If it wasn't for the public, we don't know when this would have come to a conclusion," Temple said. "We appreciate the fact that the public came forward to assist in this."

The arrest was a joint effort with the ATF, Trenton Police Department, Michigan State Police Bomb Squad and the Department of Homeland Security's K-9 Unit.

Trenton Police Chief William Lilienthal could not be reached for comment.


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