MILACA, Minn. - A dangerous situation has been averted in central Minnesota after police arrested a man who is suspected of having a bomb inside his car. The incident happened around 11 a.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Highway 169 and Highway 23 in Milaca.
The Mille Lacs County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that during a traffic stop near Onamia, earlier in the day, a deputy noticed the driver was acting strange. The deputy also saw the suspect had a propane tank in the vehicle.
The deputy let the man go, but then alerted task force agents who began following the suspect in his car. The man was stopped again for driving erratically on Highway 23 around 10 a.m.
A K-9 officer was called to search the car. Authorities say they found an explosive device, possible burglary tools and a propane tank inside the vehicle.
According to authorities, the suspect told law enforcement officers the explosive device was a bomb with nails, gun powder, kerosene and an electronic detonation device.
The suspect was taken into custody by Mille Lacs County Deputies.
Authorities say the exits to Highway 169 and parts of Highway 23 were closed and area businesses were evacuated.
The Crow Wing County Bomb Squad detonated the bomb and around 3:00 p.m. the highways and businesses reopened.
The suspect, a 41-year-old Zimmerman man, is at the Mille Lacs County Jail.
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