Antioch neighborhood shut down after arrest leads to hazmat discovery
Hazardous materials found during Antioch arrest
A man charged with having child sexual abuse material was arrested in Antioch, where the discovery of chemicals and fireworks then led to a response by hazmat specialists and a bomb squad.
ANTIOCH, Calif. - An Antioch neighborhood was shut down for hours on Tuesday after illegal fireworks and chemicals were found inside a home during the arrest of a 32-year-old man accused of possessing child sexual abuse material.
Firefighters, hazardous materials specialists and a bomb squad responded to the home on Lipton Street following a law enforcement investigation.
The backstory:
Walnut Creek police had been investigating Ryan Fenton, 32, who was charged in January with two felony counts of possessing child sexual abuse material, including an allegation that he had more than 600 images. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office filed two additional identical charges on Tuesday.
Officers were at the home to arrest Fenton when the situation escalated after chemicals were found in the garage.
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"Materials were discovered that required our expertise from a hazardous materials and fire mitigation standpoint," said Andrew Bozzo, battalion chief with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
Fenton’s sister, Regina Johnson, said detectives were investigating his internet search history and used it to obtain a search warrant.
"From walking through the home, they saw some suspicious chemicals, I guess," Johnson said.
Chemicals found are used to break down rocks
Dig deeper:
She said the chemicals in the garage were used by her brother to break down rocks.
"He likes to go and collect live rocks in the hills, and then he breaks them down with boric acid. So he collects the minerals, the rocks, and gold specks," Johnson said.
Illegal fireworks recovered
The bomb squad also removed a box of illegal fireworks labeled with Fenton’s name.
What they're saying:
Neighbors gathered outside as crews worked.
"That’s scary to have that around. But I’m glad that they got him and found it," one resident said.
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"I don’t want somebody like that in my neighborhood. There’s a lot of kids around here," added neighbor Jodi Hartsock.
Fenton was booked into jail on $100,000 bond.
The Source: Information for this story was sourced from the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office, and interviews with relatives of the suspect and neigbors.