Current:Home > FinanceBurley Garcia|Texas man accused of placing 'pressure-activated' fireworks under toilet seats in bathrooms -MoneyStream
Burley Garcia|Texas man accused of placing 'pressure-activated' fireworks under toilet seats in bathrooms
Johnathan Walker View
Date:2025-04-10 00:25:34
A man is Burley Garciaout on bond after being arrested in San Antonio, Texas for allegedly booby-trapping toilets in bathrooms of local businesses and causing explosions with “pressure-activated” fireworks.
Paul Moses Alden, 46, was arrested on Aug. 1 on a charge of "arson causing reckless damage – bodily injury," a San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) spokesperson told USA TODAY. He was released from jail the same day on a $50,000 bond and is currently awaiting indictment, he added.
Alden is accused of placing the “pressure activated," commercially available, fireworks under toilet seats in restrooms of the local businesses thus causing injuries when someone sat down on the seat, according to the spokesperson.
Numerous people reported minor injuries when the explosive devices attached to toilets detonated, KENS 5 reported, citing an arrest affidavit.
Paul Alden a 'regular customer' of car wash he targeted
The first attack allegedly carried out by Alden was reported on July 20 at the Wash Tub, a car wash in Helotes, Texas, according to the affidavit, per the TV station.
Authorities caught a man on their security camera entering a unisex bathroom, and then a small explosion was seen shortly after, the affidavit says, according to KENS 5. A woman was injured in the explosion but she was able to leave the location and make a report.
Six days later, a little girl and an employee at a Wash Tub in San Antonio were victims of the exploding devices, the TV station said, per the affidavit. Remains of the fireworks were found in the bathroom.
The affidavit says Alden was spotted on security cameras entering and leaving the bathrooms, sitting in the lobbies of the businesses, watching the bathroom door and then leaving after the explosives went off, according to the TV station. Employees of the car washes told police they could identify Alden because he was a "regular customer" who used a membership card.
A Wash Tub spokesman shared a statement with KENS 5, which said, "We are very pleased with the quick action of SAPD and the Arson investigator working this case. We will continue to fully cooperate with SAPD and the District Attorney's office."
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Derrick Rose, a No. 1 overall pick in 2008 and the 2011 NBA MVP, announces retirement
- I Won't Do My Laundry Without These Amazon Essentials Starting at $6
- Who plays on Thursday Night Football? Breaking down Week 4 matchup
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- College football Week 5 predictions for every Top 25 game start with Georgia-Alabama picks
- New York City Mayor Eric Adams vows to fight charges in criminal indictment
- Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool mocks Marvel movies in exclusive deleted scene
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- No forgiveness: Family of Oklahoma man gunned down rejects death row inmate's pleas
Ranking
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- How Rooted Books in Nebraska is combatting book bans: 'We really, really care'
- 2 hurt in IED explosion at Santa Barbara County courthouse, 1 person in custody
- Egg prices again on the rise, with a dozen eggs over $3 in August: Is bird flu to blame?
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Who plays on Thursday Night Football? Breaking down Week 4 matchup
- Smell that? A strange odor has made its way across southwest Washington state
- Police in small Mississippi city discriminate against Black residents, Justice Department finds
Recommendation
Could your smelly farts help science?
New York City Mayor Eric Adams vows to fight charges in criminal indictment
Harris makes scandal-plagued Republican the star of her campaign to win North Carolina
Harris makes scandal-plagued Republican the star of her campaign to win North Carolina
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
Nikki Garcia's Ex Artem Chigvintsev Shares His Priority After Extremely Difficult Legal Battle
Get in the holiday spirit: Hallmark releases its 'Countdown to Christmas' movie lineup
Zelenskyy is visiting the White House as a partisan divide grows over Ukraine war