A call about a suspicious person at a rest area off Interstate 80 in western Iowa resulted in the arrest of a Washington State man Wednesday. Iowa State Patrol Trooper Mike Miller says a trooper responded to the scene around 11 a.m.
“Ultimately, he placed that individual under arrest for disorderly conduct and interference with official acts. We then towed the vehicle that he had driven into that rest area,” Miller said.
Officers with several agencies were called to the scene, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, State Fire Marshal’s office and the FBI. Items found in the vehicle were identified as explosive devices.
“They were detonated in a controlled environment at the rest area. The vehicle was removed from the scene and the subject was subsequently charged with possession of explosive devices. He is currently booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail,” Miller said.
Interstate 80 was shut down in both direction for several hours while the explosives were being removed and detonated.
The man who’s facing charges identified himself as Christopher T. Peak of Seattle, Washington. However, Miller said Peak has not been cooperating with investigators, who are trying to confirm his identity, where the explosives came from, and determine his motive for possessing the explosives.
(Reporting by Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic)