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Jordan Alexander Sweetman, 19, was taken into custody after deputies found him in a stolen, damaged Honda near a 7-Eleven on John Marshall Highway in Linden around 9:30 p.m. on New Year's Day.
According to the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Sweetman fled on foot when initially approached by the deputies, but was quickly apprehended, still wearing a ski mask.
The saga began when a 911 caller reported a dark-colored Honda off Hillandale Road without license plates.
The driver, they said, was tossing items from the vehicle while wearing the mask, officials said. Deputies initially couldn’t find the car but spotted it soon after at the convenience store.
The vehicle, reportedly containing burglary tools, was towed to the sheriff’s office for processing.
Deputies returned to Hillandale Road to recover discarded items while Sweetman was transported to Warren Memorial Hospital for evaluation before being booked at RSW Regional Jail.
Sweetman was charged with:
- Obstruction of justice;
- Possession of burglarious tools;
- Wearing a mask to conceal identity;
- Driving without a license.
Held without bond, Sweetman’s troubles escalated after investigators found what appeared to be homemade explosive devices in the car the next day.
Authorities called in the Loudoun County Bomb Squad, ATF agents, and other agencies to safely remove the devices, later conducting a controlled detonation near Eastham Park.
Bomb-sniffing dogs searched Hillandale Road during the investigation, briefly delaying traffic.
An additional felony charge of manufacturing and possessing explosive materials was filed against Sweetman, who remains in custody as the investigation continues.
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