1 arrested after explosives found at South San Jose home; Nearby residences evacuated
SAN JOSE -- Police officers and special operations units converged in a San Jose neighborhood Thursday morning following the discovery of explosives at a residence that led to some evacuations of nearby homes.
San Jose Police said one person was taken into custody overnight on the 600 block of Potomac Court in the Vista Park neighborhood of South San Jose.
The suspect -- later identified as 35-year-old San Jose resident Peter Carasev -- was arrested for possession of explosive material. Investigators were also probing narcotics activity at the location, including the possible manufacture of narcotics in the home.
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A police spokesman said investigators would be at the scene for the next 48 to 72 hours because of the "substantial amount of evidence that needs to be collected."
"The home is still not what we would consider rendered safe," said SJPD Sgt. Christian Camarillo. "There's a lot of material in there that we need to go through that we need to make safe."
In fact, Camarillo noted that the volume of materials is so great that the department has called in federal resources from the FBI to assist with the "proper handling and rendering" of the evidence.
While police said there was no public safety threat at this time, the materials at the home being investigated is volatile enough to necessitate the evacuation of neighboring homes and the houses across the street in case there is an explosion.
Camarillo said there will be additional information regarding the investigation shared in the coming days, but that for now police were only releasing certain details in order to keep their investigation from being compromised.
Camarillo confirmed that the suspect lived at the home with his wife and two children despite the danger and safety concerns the explosive materials presented. The wife and children were currently safe at a different location.
