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Christopher Heinrich Beitzel, 53, is being held behind bars in a Maryland jail after the Garrett County man left fingerprints on a device he allegedly built and left behind at an area home, leading investigators to even more of his creations, the state Fire Marshal announced.
Earlier this month, Bomb Technicians from the Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the 2100 block of Aiken Miller Road in the town of Accident, when the homeowners found a suspicious-looking device on their property.
Technicians determined it was an “M-80” that was covered in several dozen BBs that were wrapped in duct tape. Once the device was deemed safe, it was investigated further, which led them to identify Beitzel as the creator.
A search of his home this week led to the recovery of two more improvised explosive devices and he was arrested without incident.
Bomb Technicians described that “if these devices had been used, the shrapnel would have caused physical injury or even death to anyone in the area.”
Beitzel was charged with:
- Three counts of manufacturing a destructive device;
- Three counts of possessing a destructive device with intent;
- Reckless endangerment.
He is being held without bond at the Garrett County Detention Center.
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