Published: July 18, 2008 08:00 pm      

Teen arrested for pipe bombs

GAYLORD -- State police arrested a teenager from Vanderbilt after finding pipe bombs in the back seat of his vehicle.

Matthew Paul Chaffee, 18, was arrested for the alleged possession of an explosive device. He was pulled over for speeding around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday on Old Highway 27 near Alexander Road in Otsego County's Corwith Township, when troopers saw a can for ammunition in the back seat of the vehicle, police said.

Police searched the ammunition can and found two live pipe bombs, one previously detonated pipe bomb and other materials. Authorities shut down Old Highway 27 for about four hours after the bombs were found.

Officers from the state police bomb squad detonated the two live pipe bombs around 3:30 a.m. Thursday. Police said they believe Chaffee planned to set the bombs off in the woods.