Man Arrested on Charges of Attempting to Blow Up Colorado Walmart
Hey, don't blow that place up! They're busy keeping prices low. A man was arrested last night on suspicion of trying to blow up the Durango Walmart.
According to the Durango Herald, Phillip Amabile, 35, of New Jersey, was booked into the La Plata County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder
A Walmart security guard called 911 Wednesday night, April 11, at roughly 8:30 p.m. The security guard reported a man wearing camouflage was trying to light propane tanks on fire in the garden section. What was he using to prime the tanks? Well, Paul Masson Brandy, of course.
Hold on... it gets better. At first, officers were unable to locate the suspect. After a short time, dispatch received a second call. During this call, a man demanded $10,000. According to an arrest affidavit filed with the 6th Judicial District Court, the voice on the phone claimed police had "12 minutes until he blows up the building."
Officers spotted a man fitting the description pouring the Paul Masson on approximately 25 propane tanks.
Did this cause a major panic in Durango? Judging by the feedback on social media, not really.
Authorities, on the other hand, consider this a pretty big deal. According to Cmdr. Bob Brammer with the Durango Police Department, "This whole thing was extremely concerning to us with someone making threats to a primary store in Durango.”
It seems the situation is well under control. Kudos to the fast-acting security guard at the Durango Walmart. I'm not entirely sure how effective Paul Masson Brandy is when attempting to ignite an explosive, but this could have been bad.