Last month, an unexpected donation at an Arizona Salvation Army turned out to be a dangerous, explosive device. A flashlight had been rigged into a detonator, and burst into flames when it was tampered with by a Salvation Army volunteer. According to the Tucson Citizen, the worker was sorting through donated items and found a flashlight. He decided to turn it on to check whether or not it worked, and the switched triggered a dangerous explosion. The employee received burns on his face and was treated on the scene. He did not need to go the hospital.
The explosion also hurt a co-worker who was nearby, but she did not need professional medical attention. The preliminary evidence shows that the incident could be linked to two other cases where a person left flashlights packed with explosives in Glendale. In all the flashlight bomb attacks, the victim has always experienced facial burns but no serious, hospitalizing injuries. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives says that they will bring the lead investigators for the case. The Salvation Army is working hard to track the flashlight to its original donor, but they say that that is difficult because many donations pour into the center without any name attributed to the previous owners.
The flashlight bomber has not been found, but authorities hope that they can trace his or her whereabouts and convict the criminal. If caught, the bomber will be incarcerated and may spend years in jail. Even though the bombs were not dangerous enough to cause serious damage, they were still an act of violence and the use of a weapon that could have been damaging. If you have been convicted of a similar crime, then contact a criminal defense attorney in your area for more information on how to combat you charges.