Ski mask-wearing driver caught with homemade explosives at 7-Eleven on New Year's Day: police
A Virginia man has been arrested and charged after authorities caught him with homemade explosives in a stolen vehicle on New Year's Day.
Jordan Alexander Sweetman, 19, of Arlington, is charged with obstruction of justice, possession of burglary tools, wearing a mask to conceal identity, driving without a license, and manufacturing and possessing explosive materials.
Warren County officials responded to a 911 call on Jan. 1 reporting a man wearing a ski mask throwing items out of a suspicious dark Honda with no license plates, according to a press release from the Warren County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies later located a car matching the description of the 911 caller at a 7-Eleven in Linden, about 70 miles outside Washington, D.C., where they detained Sweetman, who tried to flee the scene on foot.
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"Preliminary investigation revealed that Sweetman did not own the vehicle, lacked a valid driver's license, and exhibited signs of mental health issues," the sheriff's office said in a press release.
Authorities transported Sweetman to a hospital for a medical evaluation before he appeared before the magistrate last week to face his initial charges, which did not include manufacturing and possessing explosive materials at the time.
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On Jan. 2, officials conducted a search warrant of the stolen vehicle and found several items resembling homemade explosives. The sheriff's office then called in additional resources, including the local fire department, the bomb squad and Washington Field Office for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Bomb technicians safely removed the explosive devices from the vehicle and conducted a controlled detonation, the sheriff's office said.
Sweetman is being held without bond at RSW Regional Jail in Warren County.
The 19-year-old's LinkedIn page states that he worked at Joint Base Andrews Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron, located in Maryland. Fox News Digital has reached out for a statement.
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Two other unrelated incidents involving explosive devices occurred on New Year's Day. In the early morning hours of Jan. 1, Shamsud-Din Jabbar rammed a truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people. Prior to the attack, Jabbar planted explosive devices in coolers in two locations in the French Quarter, but police killed the attacker in a shootout before he could detonate them.
Also on Jan. 1, Matthew Livelsberger exploded a Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year's Day that Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said "appears to be a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who is struggling with PTSD and other issues."
Officials are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact 540-635-7100 or email cpowell@warrencountysheriff.org.