Arrest made in investigation of multiple 'suspicious' vehicle explosions in Sacramento
A 23-year-old man has been arrested on felony charges linked to two potentially related incidences of "suspicious explosions" in unoccupied vehicles in California's capital city, authorities said.
Sacramento police officials identified the suspect as Cody Wiggs, who was being held without bail Monday morning at the Sacramento County Jail, according to online jail records. Wiggs was arrested late Saturday night and booked at the jail on two felony counts of maliciously or recklessly possessing an explosive in public, which is a felony, according to the online records.
He is also facing a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed dirk or dagger, the records show.
Investigators seized two active pipe bombs along with additional undisclosed evidence linking Wiggs to a pipe bomb that was detonated in a residential neighborhood.
Police first responded to a report of an explosion on Sunday, Jan. 23, around 9:45 p.m. and "located an unoccupied vehicle with significant damage consistent with an explosion occurring inside the vehicle," officials said in a statement.
A few days later, at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28, officers again responded to a call regarding an explosion and found a similarly damaged vehicle.
"Based on evidence located during the investigation, officers believe a homemade explosive device was detonated inside the vehicle," police said in a statement. "The circumstances of both incidents are similar."
The two explosions occurred within a half-mile of each other in the Oak Park area of Sacramento.
Police determined that no injuries occurred in either incident.
Wiggs came under suspicion as police were conducting a follow-up investigation of the Jan. 28 car bombing in the Oak Park neighborhood in southeast Sacramento. After canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses, viewing surveillance footage and executing a search warrant, investigators determined that Wiggs allegedly detonated the homemade explosive, police said in a statement.
The investigation into the car bombings is continuing and the Sacramento Police Department said it is urging anyone with information or know of other similar incidents to contact investigators.
The arrest comes about six months after Justice Department unsealed the indictment of two California men who allegedly conspired to blow up Democratic headquarters in Sacramento. When investigators searched one of the men's houses last year, he allegedly had five live pipe bombs and between 45 to 50 firearms.
ABC News' Matthew Fuhrman contributed to this report.
