DUBOIS – A man accused of attempting to blow up a DuBois residence leading to a neighborhood evacuation, is now facing charges.
Daniel Lee Walton, 21, Bradford, was charged by DuBois City police with burglary, criminal trespass, risking a catastrophe, resisting arrest, theft by unlawful taking and criminal attempt/arson after an incident on May 26 at a Linden Avenue home.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday during centralized court at District Judge Patrick Ford’s office.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were called to the residence after they received a report that Walton was breaking things there after a fight between family members.
When officers arrived they saw the front door to the house was broken.
Walton approached them asking what was going on. They asked him if he broke the door and he replied, “yeah, I probably did that.”
Walton was asked to remove his hands from his pockets, but he stated he was not going to consent to a search. He then tried to leave and they physically restrained him by placing their hands on his arms and wrists.
Walton struggled demanding to know what their probable cause was for their behavior.
The officers fought with him for several minutes until they could secure him in handcuffs.
At one point, one of the officers hit his head against the ground, causing red marks on his forehead.
Once Walton was in handcuffs, he struggled to move his hands from behind his back and under his feet to the front. He was advised to stop.
A female neighbor approached police and told them Walton made threats to blow up the home.
As an officer approached the residence, he noticed a strong odor of gas.
Immediately the area including five houses was evacuated due to the risk of explosion. In all, 10 people were forced to flee.
The police car, with Walton inside, was moved further down the street.
The fire department secured the area and shut off the gas at the meter.
An officer that went inside the home found a burned piece of a price tag in the sink.
In all, dozens of fire department personnel were summoned to the scene to handle the situation.
After he was advised of his rights, Walton admitted that he turned on the gas for the stove to “get someone’s attention.”
A neighbor provided a written statement that Walton approached her and said he was going to “bomb” the house. He then attempted to take her gas can to the home, but she took it from him.
She witnessed Walton breaking down the door and heard crashing noises inside.
Walton is in the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.