Father, son arrested in Walmart parking lot with components to make pipe bomb

A father and son were arrested recently in the parking lot of the Walmart store in Ava when it was discovered they had components to make pipe bombs in their vehicle. Charged with two felonies each were 50-year-old Gary Lee Haden and 19-year-old James Lee Haden, both of rural Ava. An underage male also in the vehicle was released to a family member and his case will be referred to the juvenile court system.According to the probable cause affidavit from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and the Ava Police Department responded after a report of two males in the parking lot of the business were spotted with what appeared to be pipe bombs.

When the first law enforcement arrived, they found James and the juvenile in the vehicle. James said his dad was inside the store. When Gary came out and saw law enforcement, he started back inside but was stopped by deputies.

During questioning, Gary said their well house had burned and they had the pipe for that and his son had the gunpowder for his muzzleloader.

During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found a bottle of gunpowder, 25-feet of fuse, three pipe fittings and duct tape behind the driver’s seat. In the hatch back, they found a steel pipe with a closed fitting threaded on one end and another steel pipe along with two additional closed threaded fittings.

During questioning, James said he has “watched videos of the bomb squad blowing trucks up.”

It was noted in the affidavit that in September, neighbors reported the James house was on fire and it had jumped to their property. The fire department said the cause of the fire was inconclusive.

A Facebook post by Douglas County Sheriff Chris DeGase says the sheriff’s office recently responded to the Haden’s residence for a fire after the neighbor’s heard a loud boom. No bomb making materials were found at that time.

He says there was no indication the pipe bombs were going to be used at the Walmart store.

Gary and James Haden are each charged with felony counts of unlawful possession, transport, manufacture, repair or sale of an illegal weapon and unlawful possession of an explosive weapon. Both are free after posting $2,500 bond.

Gary Haden has a previous arrest in 2016 for possession or manufacture of an illegal weapon.

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