Homemade Explosives Found In Margate Man's Home: Police

MARGATE, NJ - Homemade explosive devices were found last week at the residence of an 82-year-old Margate man, authorities said.

Francis Beck was charged with multiple weapons violations, possession of destructive devices and other offenses by Longport police on May 26, authorities said. He was later placed on summons and released.

The discovery came after police responded to a Longport home on May 16 after receiving a report that a resident on 36th Avenue found bullet holes in their fence. The caller said that, after watching their home surveillance footage, they found that it was their elderly neighbor who had shot holes into the fence.

Beck had indeed fired two rounds from a CO2-powered handgun into the fence, police determined. The discharge of the rounds occurred in the area of South Coolidge Ave in Margate.

Beck was taken into custody by Longport police on May 26 where he was initially charged with possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of weapons, and criminal mischief.

Longport police executed a search warrant for Beck’s home, where a large cache of firearms was found alongside a “large quantity” of ammunition.

Officers also found a homemade explosive in the home, with Atlantic City and Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Bomb Squad units confirming multiple homemade explosive devices at the residence.

The devices were taken by the bomb squad who rendered the immediate area safe, police said.