IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – A young man faces charges of arson and possessing an explosive after an attempted attack on the Dickinson County Republican Committee Headquarters.
At approximately 3:55 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, the Iron Mountain Police Department received a report of a suspicious person in the area of 617 North Stephenson Avenue, the location of the Republican Committee Headquarters. The caller said they saw the individual attempting to light a rag sticking out of a glass bottle containing liquid, then throwing the unlit bottle at the building.
By reviewing footage from surveillance cameras in the area, officers saw that the individual did not get the rag to light before throwing the glass bottle at the window, which caused the bottle to shatter. A second broken glass bottle was found in the parking lot. That bottle contained an unknown liquid and had a rag sticking out of the top.
Officers identified the person in the video as a 19-year-old male from Iron Mountain. They located him at his home, where he admitted to making the bottles in his driveway and throwing them at the building. He was hoping that what he had made was flammable and would ignite. He said he intended to send a message against corruption.
The 19-year-old was arrested and booked into the Dickinson County Jail. He faces charges of manufacturing or possessing a Molotov cocktail/explosive and causing property damage, as well as preparation to commit arson.
The individual’s name will be released after his arraignment. WZMQ 19 will provide an update when new information is available.
