In Lake Helen, an anonymous tipster led police to investigate a Pennsylvania Avenue home, where they discovered the extremely explosive material known as TATP on Nov. 13, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
In a press release, the VCSO said triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, has been called “Mother of Satan” by terrorist organizations.
But it appears that Jared Coburn, who rents the home at 292 W. Pennsylvania Ave., was trying to make fireworks.
The amount of TATP found, which Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood called “enough to blow up half the house,” would have certainly produced fireworks, but perhaps not the type people are used to seeing on Independence Day.
“He tried to explain to us that he was making his own version of a firework,” Lake Helen Police Chief Mike Walker explained.
Because of the volatility of the material, it was detonated underground in a nearby field that night by experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was reluctant to transport the material, due to its high volatility.
The Federal Aviation Administration also posted a temporary no-fly restriction over the area, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Andrew Gant said.
Coburn is currently in custody and is facing multiple charges, including manufacturing an explosive device.
“It was a shock; it was definitely a shock,” said Lake Helen Police Chief Walker, who responded to the initial tip about the explosive material. “I’m glad we had the Sheriff’s Department and their bomb team at our disposal, because they were very helpful, and they continue to be.”
