A 42-year-old Iowa State University graduate was arrested for possession of home-made explosive devices three days after the FBI issued a nationwide manhunt for him, authorities said Tuesday.
Officials raided the San Francisco apartment of Ryan Kelly Chamberlain II, Saturday. Since then he was on the run. Police arrested him Monday evening in the city after they spotted his white 2008 Nissan Altima near the Golden Gate Bridge. He tried to flee from the scene but was caught, officials said at a press conference.
Chamberlain, a 1993 ISU graduate in journalism and political science, was charged with one count of possessing an illegal destructive device.
A complaint filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California stated that the FBI found four components required for an improvised explosive device in a bag next to a dining room table in Chamberlain's apartment. Screws, a circuit board, a powdery green substance and batteries were found.
"FBI bomb technicians believe that the circuit board described above was designed to serve as a remote control, allowing detonation of the device from afar," FBI Special Agent Michael Eldridge said in the document, reports the Associated Press. "They further believe that the device was designed to maim or kill a human being or human beings."
The officials did not say what, if any, particular plans Chamberlain might have had for the explosives.
David Johnson, the FBI special agent in charge of the investigation, said they got a tipoff that Chamberlain "had items of great concern to us in his residence," reports Ames Tribune, a regional daily in Iowa. He, however, made it clear that he was not suggesting that Chamberlain actually planned to use them to cause destruction.
The manhunt, Johnson said, had been conducted with the help of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; California Highway Patrol; San Francisco Fire Department; U.S. Park Police; and "hundreds of tips" from around the country.
Chamberlain could get up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, if convicted. During Tuesday's court appearance, he entered no plea.
"This suspect, Mr. Chamberlain, was a very dangerous and desperate person, I think that you could tell from Facebook and social media posts attributed to him yesterday," San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr said at the press conference.
In online messages he posted Monday, Chamberlain said he did not intend to cause harm to others. "No 'stashes.' Not 'armed and dangerous.' No car 'rigged to explode.' I explored some ugly websites, a year-ish ago. I was depressed. I let Walter White get to me," he said in the message, referring to the main character in the popular TV show 'Breaking Bad' who assembles various devices used to thwart his enemies.
