Westmoreland County man wanted for causing pipe bomb explosion arrested, state police say
A Westmoreland County man wanted after allegedly placing an explosive device under his former landlord's lawnmower was arrested on Tuesday night.
James Sever was arrested in Indiana County on the Hoodlebug Trail near Homer City after being on the run for nearly two months, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Clifford Greenfield said.
Greenfield added that an off-duty trooper reported a possible sighting of Sever, who was later taken into custody without incident. He was denied bail and taken to the Westmoreland County Jail.
James Sever arrested
The 54-year-old is accused of causing an explosion by putting a pipe bomb under his former landlord's lawnmower on July 20 at a home in Salem Township.
On July 25, he was charged, and an arrest warrant was issued. Sever was charged with attempted homicide and unlawful possession of weapons of mass destruction, among others.
Troopers from the Kiski Valley barracks were called to a home on Route 22 in Salem Township on July 20 after the explosion. Investigators learned, according to court documents, that an explosive device was placed underneath a lawnmower and went off when the man started it. Metal shrapnel was found throughout the garage, according to the criminal complaint.
Police said the victim evicted Sever from a nearby property, to which Sever told the man that he would be "hurt over this." Authorities said in the criminal complaint that cell phone data showed that Sever was near the site of the explosion for nearly 50 minutes on July 19.
State police previously said there was a $5,000 reward for information that helped solve the case. Investigators said he was likely getting around on an e-bike. Trooper Steve Limani said in a news release on Tuesday that he was spotted riding his e-bike before he was arrested around 7 p.m.
Police believe he had been camping out in the woods while on the run for 58 days.
"We had no one that came forward and said they saw him or talked to him," Limani said in a news conference on Wednesday. "Basically, for the last two months, it appears that he really hasn't had what we would consider human interaction or any electronic device capability. The fact that troopers saw him out at this trail was very fortunate."
Salem Township arson investigation
Authorities were called to a house fire in Salem Township on the same property where the explosion took place in July.
On Aug. 22, the building went up in flames, and officials are investigating the house fire as arson.
Sever used to live on the first floor of the building. Officials have not provided an update on their investigation.