Charles Baker, 33, Charged With Making A Bomb With A Twisted Tea Can + Crown Royal Bag And Throwing It From A Moving Vehicle

Following up an earlier story of an 80 year old man cofessing to the crime...see here 

Pittsburgh man charged in Lawrenceville explosion 

A Pittsburgh man is charged in federal court with throwing an explosive device from a moving vehicle on Sunday in Lawrenceville. 

Charles Baker, 33, is charged with illegal possession of an unregistered destructive device and being a felon in possession of a destructive device after investigators said he turned himself in on Tuesday evening. 

Investigators said there was an explosion in the 3600 block of Penn Avenue on Sunday causing damage to an unoccupied, parked Subaru Forester. The device, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office, contained nails, which penetrated the vehicle when it exploded. 

According to the prosecution, the item was constructed with a Twisted Tea can, green cloth possibly from a Crown Royal bag, as well as nails, screws, car parts and a white powdery substance. 

Pittsburgh police investigating the incident retrieved video from a neighboring residence that showed an older model Chevy Silverado driving westbound on Penn Avenue when the device was thrown from a passenger window. 

“When the device was thrown from the Silverado, it was burning in a manner consistent with an improvised initiation system or wick,” the U.S. attorney’s office said. 

It burned for about 20 seconds before exploding. 

A minute later, another video showed the truck turning into Trinity Mission Baptist Church on Ligonier Street with two people leaving the truck. 

“As the two individuals were walking across Ligonier Street, the camera captured one individual say something to the effect of ‘so it didn’t even go off,’ as the other laughs,” the prosecution said. 

Baker lives on Ligonier Street, they said, and has a history of making home-made explosive devices. He has previously been convicted of burglary; conspiracy; criminal trespass and drug charges. 

The truck, the U.S. attorney’s office said, was registered to two people. Federal agents searched Baker’s home on Tuesday, The co-owner, who is not named in the U.S. attorney’s news release, told investigators that Baker asked him for a ride on Sunday and once in the truck, they went down Penn Avenue, and Baker threw the device out the window.  Source