December 04, 2023
THOM CARROLL/for PhillyVoice
Philadelphia police notified the bomb squad after finding a suspicious device inside a Mayfair home on Sunday, authorities said.
Philadelphia police arrested an unidentified 35-year-old male and evacuated a block in Mayfair on Sunday afternoon after they found potentially explosive devices, narcotics and several firearms while executing a search warrant on the man's home.
Police had entered the residence on the 4200 block of Cottman Avenue while responding to a 911 call about a person with a gun at 2 p.m. on Sunday, 6ABC initially reported. Police then discovered eight devices containing a known explosive powder and several large jugs filled with an unknown chemical, prompting the evacuation.
Police notified the Philadelphia Fire Department's hazmat unit, which secure and investigated the suspicious materials.
In the course of searching the residence, police also found multiple firearms, including a Taurus 9mm handgun, a 357 revolver and an AR-15 assault rifle with the serial number removed. According to police, the suspect is a convicted felon and not permitted to own or possess firearms.
In addition to firearms and potential explosives, police said they found a variety of drugs – including heroin, crystal meth, crack cocaine, marijuana and Xanax, as well as drug paraphernalia, a bulletproof vest, a machine used to print counterfeit money and two stolen vehicles.
Police said the suspect was placed into custody and transferred to police headquarters for processing. Specific criminal charges are still pending.
Note: This story was updated after it was initially published to include new information from police about the suspect and the items discovered by authorities during the search of his home.
