BURLINGTON — On Sunday afternoon, Burlington police officers found explosive devices in an apartment building on Pearl Street they deemed to be associated with a resident, Justin Perkins, according to a press release from the Burlington Police Department. The 40-year-old man was arrested Thursday for allegedly bringing a pipe bomb to his work site in Colchester the week before.
Before he was arrested last week, Perkins had talked with his coworkers about building bombs and making ghost AR-15 rifles in his residence, according to court documents.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, officers responded after someone reported explosive devices in the building. The road in front of the apartment, at 90 Pearl St., was blocked off for the afternoon.
Residents were evacuated from the apartment building and “explosive devices were safely removed and neutralized,” according to the press release.
Police officers were assisted by local firefighters, the Vermont State Police Bomb Squad, the Vermont Hazardous Materials Response Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to the press release. John Russel, who works at Leonardo’s Pizza across the street, said the employees watched responders climb large firetruck ladders to a window in the apartment building.
Residents were assisted by the American Red Cross before they were allowed to re-enter the building after it was deemed safe around 11 p.m., according to the press release.
The incident comes four days after Perkins was arrested for allegedly bringing a pipe bomb to a job site on Dylan Avenue in Colchester. Court documents state that Perkins brought the bomb, which was about the size of a water bottle, to work on Aug. 14.
That day, he brought the bomb wrapped in what looked like white rags or a trash bag and “was excited to show” it to his coworkers, explaining how it worked and alleging it was simple for him to make, according to court documents.
Perkins’ criminal history includes three failures to appear, 15 felony charges with one conviction, 43 misdemeanor charges with nine convictions, and three assaultive crime charges resulting in one conviction, according to court records.
Perkins’ employer alerted police about the bomb on Aug.15. After his arrest on Aug. 21, Perkins was granted $10,000 bail, but did not post it, according to court documents. As of Monday morning, he’s being held without bail, according to the press release.
The Burlington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Burlington did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Monday. The Vermont State Police referred all comments to local police.
