Garland Bomb Unit disarms homemade live explosive devices found near Wynne Park

GARLAND, Texas - Garland police are investigating after several live homemade explosive devices were found in a wooded area near Wynne Park on Sunday.

Wooded area near Wynne Park, in the vicinity of West Centerville Road and South First Street in Garland.

Live Homemade Bombs

What we know:

Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau said someone walking in the area near West Centerville Road and South First Street around 11:30 a.m. reported finding an open suitcase with items scattered nearby. Among the items were objects that looked like "pipe bombs."

The Garland Police Department's Bomb Unit and bomb technicians from the FBI were called to the scene. They determined several of the items were indeed live homemade explosive devices. 

"The first thing that they did was make sure that everything was safe," Lt. Barineau said. "We made sure that the residents in the north of the neighborhood were made aware. They locked down the area and they began the process of rendering each device safe, which was a long process."

The technicians worked throughout the day and night to disarm the explosive devices.

Investigators are also canvasing the area with an explosives dog to make sure there are no other devices or safety concerns.

What we don't know:

Investigators are still trying to determine the origin and intent behind the devices.

"As of right now, it's still very much an active investigation. We're still trying determine how this suitcase arrived at the park, who this suitcase belonged to, and ultimately what was the intent behind these explosive devices," Lt. Barineau said.

It's also not clear how long the devices were there.

What they're saying:

Nearby neighbor Ken Blackburn says he sees people come and go even after hours. 

He wonders how close he may have been to danger.

"It would be a good place to dump anything up in there," said Blackburn. "I don’t know how powerful those pipe bombs are, but you never know if there’s several of them together."

What you can do:

Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Garland Police Department at (972) 485-4840 or submit tips anonymously through Garland Crime Stoppers at (972) 272-TIPS (8477). 

Garland Crime Stoppers offers rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to arrests or indictments.