SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County deputies said they had to evacuate five homes in the Goldenrod neighborhood Friday morning so they could detonate explosive devices they discovered at a home.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
Investigators said that they served a search warrant Thursday on a home on Alena Court near State Road 436 and Howell Branch Road.
They said that while they were searching for drugs, they discovered an apparent pipe bomb, explosive materials, methamphetamine and marijuana in the home.
Deputies said they interviewed the homeowner, Mark Severson, 40, who admitted to making “pyrotechnic material.”
Read: Volusia County Boy Scout leader accused of molesting girl, 14
Investigators said Severson and his wife told them that he usually “works on his fireworks” in the garage and on the porch.
Severson was arrested on charges of possessing and manufacturing explosives and possessing and selling methamphetamine and MDMA.
Deputies said they detonated the bombs at the home Friday because they were concerned it would be unsafe to transport them.
Read: Central Florida woman wins $1M from Florida Lottery scratch-off; see where she bought it
“All of a sudden, I just heard an explosion,” a neighbor told Channel 9. “Fire in the hole. And it just caught everyone off guard. Even people from outside the neighborhood came outside to see what was going on.”
A judge ruled Friday that Severson be jailed without bail.
“At this point in time, I am going to keep him on no bond amid public safety concerns,” the judge said.
See a map of the home below:
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group
