La Porte Police arrest man after finding explosive device in home

LA PORTE, Ind. - “I seen these two cars pull up, park over here and three guys come over to the house. Pull their shirt up and says ‘police’. They had found a bomb over there,” said William Armstrong, a La Porte County resident.

More than 24 hours after the incident, investigators continued to pull apart all the components that make up a La Porte home after police say an explosive device was inside.

“So later on they came and told my wife and I that we needed to vacate the house because they had found a bomb over there,” said Armstrong.

It was 4:00 p.m. Wednesday when police were told someone had explosive materials inside this home in the 700 block of F Street in La Porte, right across from La Porte high school.

“I’ve got a 7-year-old granddaughter living here. That’s just….. that’s scary,” said Armstrong.

The Porter County Bomb Squad was called in along with other law enforcement to get into the home. There, they found 44-year-old Eric Weiler and that explosive device. Weiler’s neighbor, Bill Armstrong, says he’s shocked.

“Eric, you know, I talked to him a few times and he was a.. nice guy. You never know who’s living next to you or what kind of person they are,” said Armstrong.

While police have not clarified what type of explosive it was in the home, Armstrong, a Vietnam War vet, says explosives are not to be taken lightly.

“What could have happened is we all could have been killed. This house, the house next door, I don’t know maybe across the alley somewhere. It’s something you don’t mess around with. You just don’t mess around with it,” said Armstrong.

Weiler is being held at the La Porte County Jail. Police say that bomb has been safely detonated away from this location and that they are still investigating.