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ST. GEORGE — A judge has denied a motion to dismiss the charges against a teen accused of bringing a homemade explosive device to school last year.
Martin Ryan Farnsworth, 17, of Hurricane, is facing felony charges for attempted murder and possessing a weapon of mass destruction. He is being tried as an adult.
The charges stem from a March 5 incident in which Farnsworth allegedly took a homemade explosive to Pine View High School.
He left a backpack containing the device in the school’s cafeteria during the lunch period, according to documents filed in 5th District Court. Some 75-150 students were in the cafeteria at the time.
Farnsworth lit the fuse and walked away, according to court documents and testimony. Smoke coming from the device alerted students to the presence of the backpack. They notified the school’s faculty and a school resource officer removed the backpack from the area.
While no one was harmed in the incident, it did trigger an evacuation of the school.
