The FBI has taken over an investigation after Massachusetts State Police’s bomb squad responded to a report of suspicious devices found near power lines in Tyngsboro.
The FBI has arrested a single suspect related to the suspicious devices found near power lines in Tyngsborough this week.
Danny M. Kelly, 61, at 26 School St., Chelmsford, was arrested at his home at 7:35 a.m. Saturday.
He was taken in custody without incident.
Kelly was arrested on probable cause. The exact charges against him will be released Monday.
State police said they received a call from Tyngsborough Police around 3 a.m. Wednesday asking the bomb squad to respond to the area of 60 Locust Ave. for a report of suspicious devices located on or near power lines.
Authorities say the devices were hanging from the high power lines - they were homemade and had to be manually activated to start a fire.
Police say it wasn't an act of terrorism, but someone was looking to cause some major damage.
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"I can't think of any other reason why someone would want to do that, other than sinister reasons," said FBI Agent Peter Kowenhoven.
The FBI and Tyngsborough Police describe the "suspicious devices" found on the high power lines in town as similar to homemade pipe bombs.
"They were not explosive," explained Kowenhoven. "It does not explode and go outward."
Police Chief Richard Howe says the spark from one of the devices started a brush fire Wednesday afternoon. That's what prompted the investigation.
By early Thursday morning, the state police bomb squad was called in - detectives located the devices and then rendered them safe.
"It was a little scary to hear something might be up there," said one woman who lives near the scene but did not want to go on camera.
Police did say that there was "no immediate danger" to the public, and that the devices had been secured.
Eversouce confirms there will be additional aerial searches of equipment conducted as a result of the devices found in Tyngsborough.
In nearby New Hampshire, Gov. Maggie Hassan issued a statement saying that although there wasn't an immediate threat, her office was working with federal authorities and utility companies to make sure there weren't any suspicious devices in the Granite State.
