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BLUFFDALE — A U.S. Army reservist stole a powerful explosive from Camp Williams in March and told a friend he wanted to detonate it in the desert, according to police.
Adam Michael Garceau, 21, was arrested Sunday after police served a search warrant at his Provo apartment and reported finding a one-quarter brick of C-4 explosives in a lock box in his bedroom.
Garceau was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of illegal possession of an explosive device and theft.
The device was likely taken from Camp Williams during an Army Reserve training held there March 18-20, Utah National Guard Lt. Col. Steven Fairbourn said Tuesday. An Army Reserve engineer unit used the facility for demolition training during that time.
Some explosives like grenades have equipment such as pins that can be returned after a training exercise to ensure that they have been used, Fairbourn said. But the brick-like device known as a C4 explosive is destroyed when it is detonated, so trainees must fill out and sign an affidavit saying they detonated all of the material with them during the exercise, he said.
The Army Reserve is conducting its own investigation into how the device was allegedly taken from the facility.
"We work diligently to ensure that training is conducted in a safe and productive manner out at Camp Williams," Fairbourn said. "Our understanding at this point is all methods and safeguards and checks were (adhered to) by the ammunition supply point. So we're certainly very interested in the results of the investigation of the Army Reserve to identify any potential challenges (so) we can appropriately address them."
Bomb squad officers searched Garceau's apartment near 600 North and 200 East Sunday. Garceau told officers he took the device from Camp Williams "with the intention of taking it up in the mountains somewhere to set it off," a police affidavit filed in 4th District Court states.
A search of court records shows Garceau has no criminal history in Utah.
Contributing: Dave Cawley, Nicole Vowell
