EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS FOUND IN A SOUTH SUBURBAN HOME
Monday, June 14, 2010— Bond was set today at $5,000 for a Matteson woman found with enough fireworks and explosive chemicals in her home to level an entire city block, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced Monday.
Felicia West, 21, of the 0 – 100 block of Candlegate in the Timber Ridge Trailer Park has been charged with felony unlawful use of weapon, misdemeanor child endangerment and misdemeanor animal cruelty. Police continue to search for a person of interest involved in the case.
Patrol officers discovered the explosive materials Thursday, while responding to a reported burglary in progress. When the officers arrived at the home, they found West and her five-year-old daughter inside the residence, along with a dog locked up in a cage. West claimed to be the owner of the trailer. In plain view were large amounts of apparent explosive material.
The officers on the scene immediately requested assistance from Cook County Sheriff’s Police detectives and the sheriff’s bomb unit. Bomb squad personnel and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives removed the following materials from the residence:
- 300 lbs of 1.4 explosives (small consumer fireworks) and 1.3 explosives (large professional fireworks)
- Approximately 51 lbs of flash powder
- Approximately 200lbs of aluminum powder
- Seven 50 kg containers of suspected potassium perchlorate
- 3,300 M type devices
- 1,000 empty 3 x 1 ¼ inch cardboard tubes
- 4 empty 50lb containers of aluminum powder
Investigators believe the materials were being used to create homemade fireworks, yet the ingredients could have destroyed an entire city block.
All of the explosives were destroyed Friday morning.
West was charged Saturday and appeared in Markham bond court today. Her next court date is set for July 1 in Markham.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.