A series of disturbances in Arlington County culminated in the arrest of a 77-year-old man Charles W. Peters on charges related to the making and use of explosive devices, officials reported this Friday. The investigation kicked off after residents in the 5700 block of Washington Boulevard and the surrounding Bluemont neighborhood were rattled by recurring loud noises, beginning around August 20, which prompted complaints and spurred authorities to action, according to WUSA9.
Plucked as a person of interest early in their investigation, Peters was arrested following a search warrant execution at his residence on August 30, where law enforcement officials discovered evidence leading to charges that include five counts of manufacturing, possession, and use of firebombs or explosive materials or devices, WUSA9 reports.
The Arlington County Fire Department affirmed Peters is currently being held without bond at the Arlington County Detention Facility, as per their statement, emphasizing there is no longer a threat to public safety. As per WJLA, "Yeah, it's scary," Sharon Williams said. "You don't know what the motive is. You don't know what the end result could be, and there are a lot of people in this neighborhood. A lot of young kids, a lot of families, younger adults. Could be quite a catastrophe if something happened," she added.
During the 10 days of the investigation, other residents also came forth with their experiences, Matthew Hamrick described the disruption as "really loud noises" that resembled a "transformer," while Sarah Lennox mistook the sounds for fireworks, a sentiment echoed in the neighborhood discussions and reported encounters, as outlined in the coverage by WJLA.
