Bomb-making suspect arrested after Pilot Point police find his home booby-trapped

Police in Pilot Point arrested a man after finding bombs in his car and a booby trap in his home rigged to harm anyone who entered the front door.

Ruendi Sanchez Juarez, 28, was arrested Friday on a charge of possessing prohibited weapons, namely an improvised explosive device, authorities said.

Police encountered Sanchez Juarez about 1:30 a.m. Friday while investigating a report of gunfire in the 11000 block of Fritcher Road in Pilot Point. They searched the area and found him sitting in a car nearby. A search of the vehicle turned up explosives, two of which were deemed to be live bombs, police said.

A bomb squad from the Denton Police Department was called in to defuse the explosives, police said. Then officers turned their attention to his home about a block away on Pecan Creek Road.

“Further investigation revealed additional explosive materials may be present at the subject’s residence and the residence may contain ‘booby traps,’” Pilot Point police said in a written statement.

A search warrant was issued for the home, and investigators discovered its front door was wired with “an electronic device designed to inflict injury upon entry,” police said.

This time, police called in agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who helped them enter the home safely. No other explosives were found inside.

Sanchez Juarez was booked into the Denton County Jail with bail set at $15,000.