Man Arrested In Connection To Incendiary Devices On Tyngsboro Power Lines
TYNGSBORO (CBS) – The FBI arrested a Chelmsford man Saturday morning in connection to incendiary devices that were found on power lines in Tyngsboro.
On Wednesday afternoon Tyngsboro firefighters knocked down a brush fire on Locust Ave. and in the process noticed devices on the power lines that seemed out of place.
National Grid employees who responded to the scene called police, who summoned the FBI to inspect what were determined to be incendiary devices.
The devices were designed to create extreme heat and fire, but not explode.
Saturday around 7:30 a.m., FBI and police officers arrested Danny Kelly, 61, at his home in Chelmsford. Kelly was taken into custody without incident.
"(This) doesn't make any sense," neighbor Lynne Cole told WBZ-TV's Paul Burton. "It's very bizarre."
She added, "(I'm) feeling bad for him. He seems to be a nice guy. Very pleasant and calm."
"There may be more of a mental illness rather than someone trying to take the government down," Jack Parow, Kelly's neighbor and Haverhill fire chief, told WBZ-TV's Paul Burton.
Parow says Kelly has a troubled past. Kelly pleaded guilty to federal extortion charges in 2005, and he was sentenced to fives years probation and ordered to pay $378,041 in restitution to Verizon.
"When I was chief in Chelmsford, he cut a lot of communication lines," Parow said. "We lost all our 9-1-1 system and a lot of telephone lines.
"We call him the 'Cable Cutter,'" Parow added.
The FBI does not believe there is any threat to the public related to the devices, which are similar to pipe bombs.
"We are grateful to the FBI and our neighbors for their hard and efficient work during this investigation," Tyngsboro Police Chief Richard Howe said. "Through municipal, state and federal partnerships we were able to bring a swift resolution to this case."
Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney said Kelly's arrest was made possible through the collaboration of multiple departments.
"This is a fine example of collaboration among all levels of law enforcement," Spinney said. "Our teamwork ensured that the public remained safe at all times."
WBZ-TV's Paul Burton contributed to this report.
