Police searching the home of a Draper man last month discovered a hidden room under a stairway that contained chemicals and other parts used to make explosives, according to charging documents filed Friday.
The court documents show police searched the 39-year-old’s residence — on South Holly Grove Court, an upscale subdivision in south Draper — on July 31, looking for stolen firearms, evidence of drug distribution and possession of explosives. Officers found several people at the home, including two minors, ages 6 and 15.
With the help of a drug-sniffing dog, they found drugs and paraphernalia, including methamphetamine and marijuana, the documents state.
An officer later found the “hidden room under the stairs in the basement.” Inside, a detective wrote in a probable cause statement, the officer saw two “large bags” containing powdered chemicals and wires. A hazmat team responded.
Investigators found the powder to be explosive materials “deconstructed from commercial grade fireworks and other energetic material that are precursors to explosives,” according to the charges. A grenade also was found.
The substances were detonated in the man’s yard.
The man faces four charges related to the search. They include possession of explosive parts, endangerment of a child and possession of a controlled substance, all third-degree felonies. He also faces a misdemeanor drug paraphernalia charge.
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