Evacuation follows discovery of 14 explosive devices in Newmanstown home

Police cracked a safe in a Millcreek Township home on Tuesday, Sept. 9, to find more than a dozen “sophisticated” explosive devices, including at least one capable of remote detonation, according to a statement from the Lebanon County District Attorney’s office.

Pennsylvania State Police evacuated residents from a Newmanstown neighborhood shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday after an investigation spanning three counties and involving federal agents led them to the home on 11 Central Drive.

According to the release, the incident began with a call to police in Berks County regarding a possible Protection from Abuse violation by a man from Columbia, Lancaster County. During the call, the release said, “the female indicated the suspect possessed a safe stored at a home in Lebanon County … (containing) homemade explosive devices. She further produced a remote firing system/device as proof.”

The female caller had a temporary PFA order from Berks County against the suspect, who was identified by the District Attorney as Timothy Shaeffer Jr. of Columbia.

Berks County contacted state police, the release said, who “immediately responded to the safe’s location” at the Central Drive residence.

“Police investigation revealed the male suspect left the safe at the Newmanstown residence,” the release said. “He further told the current resident of the home the safe contained explosive material.”

According to the release, the Pennsylvania State Police Bomb Squad, Forensic Services Unit, SERT Team, and local law enforcement locked down the surrounding area. The FBI and Lebanon County Detective Bureau assisted in the investigation.

Law enforcement took an x-ray of the safe, which revealed what appeared to be “a self-made bomb device,” at which time neighbors “were notified and evacuated,” the release said. Newsmantown Fire Rescue assisted with maintaining a safe perimeter during the evacuation, which extended a quarter-mile from the scene.

State police and FBI bomb squads “safely cracked the safe open,” the release said. “Contained inside were fourteen (14) explosive devices of varying capabilities. One device had a wiring system which appears to be compatible with the remote firing system/device given by the female to law enforcement. Members of the State Police Bomb Squad confirmed the wiring system is capable of remote detonation and shows sophisticated construction.”

Police said Shaeffer admitted to officers that the safe was his, and the current residents of the Central Drive home told police that no one had touched or opened the safe since Shaeffer had left it there. Additionally, police said, the safe contained personal property and items belonging to Shaeffer.

District Attorney Pier Hess Graf consulted with state police and the FBI, who collectively “agreed upon and approved state charges,” the release said.

Accordingly, felony charges were filed against Shaeffer for weapons of mass destruction and risking catastrophe, as well as a misdemeanor charge of recklessly endangering another person. The DA’s office noted that a review of Shaeffer’s criminal history “shows multiple PFA violations and various drug-related convictions.”

“We are grateful for the diligent work of every law enforcement and public safety agency involved in today’s incident,” Graf said in a statement. “We took every possible precaution to ensure local residents were safe before clearing the scene. The devices generated by the Defendant could easily have detonated and seriously hurt the residents of the home, the children living inside, and/or each surrounding neighbor.

“We will work with the FBI and federal authorities to ensure the Defendant receives the harshest penalties available under all possible state and federal laws.”

Graf said in an email Tuesday that Shaeffer “was safely taken into custody this evening.” A magisterial district judge had not yet set bail as of publication.

Formal charges against Shaeffer had not yet been filed in the state’s Unified Judicial System as of Tuesday evening.