This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Prosecutors filed assault, drug and weapons possession charges Friday against a man who set up a network of fake explosives in his East Millcreek yard before engaging police in an armed standoff last weekend.

They also charged 47-year-old David Charles Baker in two separate threatening confrontations, including one several days before the standoff.

On Sept. 15, Baker threatened a man with a sword after accusing him of "wasting [Baker's] time, as the defendant is running for president and was a very important person," according to charging documents filed Friday in 3rd District Court.

The man was driving away from his home on Belmont Avenue when Baker pulled the sword out of his own car, challenging the man to hit him to so he could use the sword. Baker was charged with third-degree felony aggravated assault in that case.

Then, the afternoon of Sept. 23, Baker showed up at a friend's house and threatened to burn it down if she didn't get him "10 private jets by midnight," charging documents state. She noticed some gas cans in the back of his car and called police. He drove away when they arrived. Officers found tape with his name on it wrapped around her mailbox and a piece of mail missing. Scattered around her yard were "several miscellaneous objects," and a briefcase had been thrown onto the porch with the words "for God's angel" written on tape around it, according to charging documents.

Prosecutors charged Baker Friday with felony third-degree attempted theft by extortion and class A misdemeanor mail theft in connection with that incident.

Baker returned to his house near 3100 E. Del Mar, where a neighbor spotted him running with a shotgun and carrying ammunition, according to prosecutors. It ended hours later with the arrest of a minidress-wearing Baker.

When police entered the house, the found an ax, guns, a "trip-wire firing device capable of discharging a shotgun shell," a smoke grenade, knife, a sickle-like cutting device and two glass bongs with traces of marijuana and cocaine.

Baker was charged in that case with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, one a third-degree felony and the other a class B misdemeanor; three counts of gun possession, all third-degree felonies; and failure to stop, also a third-degree felony.

Twitter: @lwhitehurst