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- West Bountiful residents evacuated due to old dynamite found on property.
- Dwayne Hughes, 80, arrested for investigation of possessing explosives and reckless endangerment.
- Temporary shelter available; detonation expected at 10 a.m. Monday.
WEST BOUNTIFUL — Residents in a West Bountiful neighborhood are being told to evacuate immediately while public safety officials remove potentially dangerous explosives.
The area being evacuated is around 1450 North and 1100 West. Residents have until 10 a.m. to evacuate their homes when police are expected to detonate old explosives found at a residence. Temporary shelter is available next to the city park at 1930 N. 600 West.
The evacuation follows the arrest of an 80-year-old man who police say was illegally storing old dynamite on his property.
Dwayne Raymond Hughes was booked into the Davis County Jail on Sunday night for investigation of possessing explosives, unlawful possession of fireworks and reckless endangerment.
West Bountiful police were originally called Sunday to 1425 N. 1100 West on a report of a domestic violence incident. Hughes' son was arrested in that case.
"During his arrest, the son uttered that his father possessed explosives on his property," according to a police booking affidavit
After the son was booked into jail, police returned to the father's property to verify the son's claims. In the backyard, Hughes shows police "a container housing a collection of dynamite, stored directly adjacent to a 2,500-gallon tank of diesel fuel. An empty box with an explosives placard was also observed in the yard, indicating the potential presence of primary explosive devices," the affidavit states.
A Davis County bomb squad was called to the scene. Upon further investigation, police said they learned that blasting caps and other explosive devices may be kept inside the residence.
"From additional inquiries and investigative observation from the bomb squad, they learned that the dynamite was manufactured in the 1980s and had likely been stored on the arrestee's property for an undisclosed period without proper authority. The arrestee was taken to the West Bountiful Police Department for questioning, but he wished to exercise his right to have legal counsel present and did not agree to speak with investigators," according to police.
After Hughes was booked into jail and a search warrant for his property was obtained, "the bomb squad advised that depending on what materials and/or devices are discovered within the arrestee's home, a large-scale evacuation may need to be enacted," the affidavit states.
This story will be updated.
