FBI and bomb squad search Olney home; Eugene Horsch held on drug and firearms charges
A multi-agency investigation led authorities to a property on West Chew Avenue in Philadelphia after fake DEA credentials and two guns were found in a car near Independence Mall.
Chemicals, ammunition and drugs uncovered at Olney address
Philadelphia police homicide detectives, the FBI and a bomb squad converged on a home in the city's Olney neighbourhood following the discovery of chemicals, ammunition and narcotics on the premises, 6abc.com reports. Eugene Horsch, 44, is in custody on drug and firearms charges.
The investigation began around 9 a.m. on Friday, 19 June, when a park ranger encountered a disturbance involving a man and a woman inside a black BMW on the 600 block of Market Street, near Independence Mall. Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said at a news conference that the ranger heard what he believed to be the female passenger say, "you're going to hurt me."
That prompted further scrutiny of the vehicle's occupants. Investigators say Horsch was found in possession of what turned out to be counterfeit DEA credentials. The woman with him allegedly presented officers with an identification card bearing her photograph but the name of a person who had been reported missing. According to Vanore, Horsch gave her that document.
"Right now, I don't have anything that points to the fact, other than he had enough information about her to create another identification with another woman's photo and her name and make it look like it was the other person," Vanore said.
Vanore offered no further details about the missing woman and stated there is currently no evidence placing her at the Chew Avenue property.
Two firearms were recovered from the car, both with obliterated serial numbers. The investigation then led officers to the 400 block of West Chew Avenue, where a third gun and more than 120 pieces of ballistic evidence were found. Narcotics were also seized, and police say there are indications Horsch was attempting to cultivate or produce drugs independently.
The discovery that prompted the bomb squad's involvement centred on the basement. A large quantity of assorted chemicals was found there, including a 55-gallon drum connected to water lines. Vanore described the setup as "strange." While the purpose of the chemicals has not yet been established, investigators determined that certain combinations among them could prove dangerous if ignited.
"We just don't know what he was doing," Vanore said. "If he's producing something, if he's making something, if he's irrigating something, we don't know."
Vanore also addressed circulating rumours that human remains had been found inside the home. No bodies have been discovered, he confirmed. Several urns were recovered on the property, at least one bearing a family member's name, though Vanore noted they may simply be family cremation urns.
Homicide detectives were assigned to the case because they are the department's most experienced investigators, Vanore said — not because a homicide has been established.
Horsch, a convicted felon, remains in custody. His charges relate to the firearms recovered and the quantity of narcotics allegedly found in his possession.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)