Crime & Safety
Houston Man Caught Planting Explosives At Confederate Statue
Andrew Schneck was found by a park ranger in Hermann Park hiding near a Confederate Statue with explosives in his possession: Feds
HOUSTON, TX — A Houston man accused of attempting to plant a bomb at the base of a Confederate statue in Hermann Park is in federal custody.
Andrew Schneck, 25, was arrested Saturday night after a park ranger saw him hiding in the bushes near the state of Confederate officer Richard Dowling.
Federal prosecutors said in a press release that Schenk was holding two small boxes with duct tape and wire, and a bottle of explosive liquid.
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When the park ranger confronted him, Schenk allegedly tried to drink the liquid explosive, and spit it out, prosecutors said.
Officials said the substance in one of the tubes tested positive for nitgroglycerin and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, HMTD, a highly explosive compound used as a primary explosive.
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Schneck’s arrest came hours after hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters gathered outside Sam Houston Park to demand the removal of the Spirit of the Confederacy statue, which has stood since 1908.
RELATED: Black Lives Matter Protesters Demand Confederate Statue Removal From Sam Houston Park
The next day, FBI agents and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms raided Shneck’s home in the 2000 block of Albans Road in southwest Houston searching for more explosive materials, KPRC reported.
Residents in the area were advised to stay in their homes throughout most of the day Sunday, as agents searched Schneck’s home.
Agents and investigators with the Houston Police Department discovered a significant amount of hazardous materials inside the home, the Houston Chronicle reported.
This is the second time in four years that federal investigators have searched the home.
In 2013, agents raided the home and several other properties owned by Schenk’s family where they discovered military-grade explosive components.
Schneck plead guilty in 2014, and was sentenced to five years probation.
If he is convicted, he could spend the next 40 years in prison and forced to pay a $250,000 fine, KHOU reported.
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