Posted on 11/17/2012 7:17:28 AM PST by BenLurkin
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A Rancho Palos Verdes man is under arrest this evening for allegedly trying to board a plane in Oakland with materials that could be used to make a bomb.
Geoff McGann is accused of making his way through security wearing an odd-looking watch that alerted TSA. As described, the watch sounded more like a detonator than a timepiece.
J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, said McGann’s watch “had a toggle switch, a series of fuses, a series of wires protruding from it, a circuit board and the watch itself was on incorrect time.”
Juan Fernandez, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, said what security found next alarmed them even more.
McGann allegedly was wearing boots with hollowed out compartments. And according to authorities, he couldn’t explain why he was wearing them. He reportedly told authorities the watch was “part of an art project.”
Fernandez went to the single family home where McGann lives.
No one was home, but a note on the door instructed UPS to leave any packages on the doorstep.
Fernandez said two small dogs could be heard barking inside the home.
Neighbors (who chose to not go on camera) described McGann as a quiet guy who lived alone. “He’s not the kind of guy who would cause any trouble,” Fernandez reported.
No explosives were found on McGann’s person and officials don’t believe McGann was attempting an act of terrorism.
Still, they believe what he did could have been dangerous.
Nelson adds, “as a triggering device, absolutely, absolutely. It absolutely could have been a triggering device. Obviously he was missing a couple of things along the way.”
yeah, and with the explosive holding or smuggling boots, i guess he got them at his neighborhood terrorist surplus shop?
now if he’d put the clockwork in luggage, odds are nobody would have noticed or cared. and the boots might have gotten scrutinized but when found to have nothing actually hidden they’d have let him go his way.
i say performance art. the art of being a jackass. again is this some redneck mooselimb?
LOL!!
Craving some nice Chianti right now...
most of which comes from blueland california today. is there anyone who specializes in “red state” wine???
I agree with you; the guy IS a jackass. Anybody who’s been paying attention over the last 11 years would know what components are needed to assemble an IED.
You don’t need to be a terrorist to know.
And then to bring the components through a TSA Passenger Checkpoint. It’s as stupid as bringing a “Take A Number” Hand Grenade Gag-Gift through the Passenger Checkpoint or putting it in your Checked Baggage even.
“Stupid is as stupid does?”
A deliberate stunt for some sort of twisted yucks, unless it’s a Moose who’s probing, but that latter sounds like an unlikely hypothesis. It’s kind of like joking about bombs whilst at the security areas of airports. Ya get stomped for doing this and for good reason, it falls into the yelling fire in a crowded theater (when there’s no fire) category. Go perform that art somewhere else, like in the middle of a deserted field.
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