Bomb Found at Substation; Possible Link to Indiana Statehouse Threat

May 11, 2005
Bomb had been thrown over perimeter fence, similar device found before at another station

GREENSBURG, Ind. -- A pipe bomb found at an electric substation might be linked to a teen charged with threatening to bomb the Indiana Statehouse, police said.

An employee on a maintenance call found the pipe bomb Tuesday at a Decatur County REMC substation in Greensburg. A state police bomb squad was able to safely destroy it, Trooper Rick Stockdale said

The device appeared to have been thrown over a fence more than a month ago, authorities said. A similar device was found April 7 at another electric substation in the city about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis.

Police believe the devices might be connected to Randal A. Robbins, 18, of Rushville, who was arrested April 9 for threatening to bomb the Statehouse.

"We don't know he was responsible for these two bombs but we assume he is," Greensburg Police Chief Bill Meyerrose said.

Police officers last month found two crude bombs in the trunk of Robbins' car, but investigators said he never posed a serious threat to state government.

Federal agents will compare the explosives to determine whether they were assembled by the same person, Meyerrose said.

"We hope the ATF finds they were his because we don't need to have any other people out there experimenting with bombs," he said.

Robbins has been held in the Rush County Jail since his arrest.