City officials say they discovered weapons, bombs, white supremacist and anti-police propaganda in a Stamford home during a health inspection there Wednesday evening.
Police found explosives in various stages of completion—nuts and bolts stuffed into PVC piping—as well as loaded rifles and shotguns stuck in the ceiling tiles near entrances and windows of the 170-172 Vine Road basement, according to Stamford Police Chief Jon Fontneau. The home is located fewer than 700 feet from Turn of River School, a middle school.
Fontneau said that the house was still in the process of being secured and no charges had been brought.
"The team will be out there for a good portion of the night," Fontneau told Stamford Patch. "So far, no one has been arrested."
The inspection of the home started with city health officials inspecting the residence after securing a warrant for health code violations, Fontneau said. A police officer was assisting as a matter of course, he said.
According to city tax records, the property is owned by William Hertle Properties LLC. Debra Saturno-Galang is listed as co-owner, according to the records.
Officials were overcome by the smell of urine and feces upon entering the basement, Fontneau said. The police chief also described a station for monitoring the outside of the residence through a camera system and a reinforced tunnel that ran along the backyard.
A poster inside the home depicted a police funeral with a derogatory message scrawled across it, Fontneau said.
Once police identified explosives—thanks to Sgt. Kris Engstrand, Fontneau said—the house was evacuated, the bomb squad was called in and the FBI Terrorism Task Force was notified because of the propaganda.
Fontneau said it appeared the basement resident was living in the cellar with dogs that were not let outside regularly.
As they investigated earlier in the day, police—accompanied then by a K-9 unit—opened all windows and doors of the home and taped off the area.
