Update: Suspect Charged After Suspicious Items Found In Wilmington Restaurant
WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) - A bomb squad was called out to a Wilmington restaurant Monday evening after suspicious items were discovered in the basement.
At about 1:30 p.m., fire officials at the Wilmington Fire Department were conducting a routine safety check at Madeline's Restaurant at 6th and North DuPont streets when they found items in the basement they believed to be suspicious.
The Wilmington Police Department Bomb Squad initially responded and examined the objects. Police could not confirm at the time whether the suspicious items were explosive, said Inspector Sean Finerty of the Wilmington Police. Nearby St. Francis Hospital and homes were not evacuated, but streets were blocked off in the area and traffic was restricted in the area.
Now, preliminary investigations have determined that there were numerous weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices stored in the basement. Items seized from the building included two fully functional improvised hand grenades, materials to construct additional grenades, thirty six firearms and over 20,000 rounds of assorted ammunition.
Wilmington Police have now charged Stephen R. Sparco, of the Ashley Heights development in Wilmington, with one count of Possession of an Incendiary Device (a class D felony).
Sparco has been released on $5,000.00 unsecured bail. The investigation is ongoing.
