A 67-year-old Roswell man claimed he was only trying to be a “patriot” when he planted a bomb at a local park, according to a federal complaint against him.
Michael C. Sibley, 67, was arrested Saturday for allegedly leaving an explosive device at Vickory Creek Park in November, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
“The defendant allegedly placed a bag containing what appeared to be pipe bombs in Vickery Creek Park,” Horn said in an emailed statement. “This arrest should reassure the community that serious crimes like this will be investigated thoroughly and all leads followed to identify the perpetrator.”
A mother and daughter walking in the park spotted the backpack Nov. 4 and called police, an FBI spokesman previously said. The Cobb County police bomb squad was called to the scene.
Inside the backpack, investigators found materials to make a bomb. The items detonated, according to police.
The backpack also contained an Atlanta Falcons schedule, a MARTA schedule and other papers, books and clothing, investigators said Monday.
On Friday, FBI agents identified Sibley as the individual who placed the device in the park and arrested him on a criminal complaint, Horn’s office said.
According to court documents, Sibley confessed to agents that he bought a backpack at a garage sale and built a bomb inside his garage. Sibley also told agents that he purchased a T-shirt at a garage sale and wrote the name “Mina Khodari” on the shirt “because it looked foreign.”
Sibley said he placed the bomb on the trail as a “patriot” because he felt that no one is paying attention to the world, and if someone found the explosive device they would understand that a bomb could be placed anywhere, according to the criminal complaint.
Sibley is charged with attempting to damage or destroy by means of fire or explosive property owned by the United States.
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