LAKE CITY, Fla. — Explosions in the Lake City area led to the arrest of a man early last week.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
At 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 5, officers from the Lake City Police Department responded to an alert from the FLOCK Gunshot Detection System around NE Jackson Avenue.
While in the area for an unrelated call, officers heard a loud explosion around the area. Upon investigation, officers observed smoke emanating from the yard of a vacant residence. Melted plastic soda bottles appeared to be the source of the smoke
The Lake City Fire Department (LCFD) was called to assist officers in the potential presence of hazardous chemicals. While LCFD was investigated, nearby neighbors were evacuated as a precaution.
Investigations revealed that a man, Matthew Paul Mixon, had been mixing chemical compounds inside the bottles, shaken them, and threw them on the ground to observe the explosions.
Mixon was arrested on the charges of Making or Attempting to make Destructive Devices.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.