Barrie police say they have arrested a man in connection to an explosion in the parking lot of apartment complex.
Authorities say the 36-year-old suspect was located in Ajax and was taken into custody on Monday.
Last month, police publicly identified a suspect and issued an arrest warrant.
At around 3 a.m. on September 27, 2023, first responders converged on a parking lot located at 108A Anne St. N., in the area of Edgehill Drive and Highway 400.
Police have stated that an improvised explosive device (IED) was placed around the gas cap of a white SUV in the parking lot of the apartment building. Before emergency crews arrived, the device exploded causing damage to the vehicle and a car parked next to it. A short distance away, investigators located an unexploded improvised explosive device (IED) in a garden. The device was detonated by a police bomb squad.
There was a partial evacuation of two buildings adjacent to the scene and several roads were closed for hours.
At the time, pictures of the SUV showed a hole in the vehicle where the gas tank was located.
Police have not gone into specifics if the vehicle was targeted by the accused.
He has been charged with:
- causing an explosion
- intent to destroy
- arson - damage to property ( two counts)
- possession of explosives
- making or possessing explosives
- breaching a prohibition order (two counts)
- fail to comply with a release order
He was held in custody and remanded to appear by video, with the Ontario Court of Justice located in Barrie, on June 4, 2024.
The Barrie Police Service Major Crime Unit, who have coordinated and led this investigation, wish to acknowledge, and thank the community for their input, support and understanding over the past eight months while this investigation was carried out and culminated in Monday's arrest.
