‘Live’ Pipe Bomb Found Outside Sixpence Inn; 2 Guests Arrested

Police found a “live” pipe bomb in a planter outside the Sixpence Inn of Westminster late Sunday.

Now, Police Officer Larry Woessner said Monday, detectives are trying to determine if a motel guest--an electrician who led them to the explosive device--and another electrician staying in the same motel room where drills, black powder and a fuse were found, had more to do with the bomb than they have thus far revealed.

Puzzled detectives said there had been no bomb threats received by either the motel on Golden West Street or surrounding businesses.

The incident began to unfold at about 8 p.m. Sunday when a caller reported seeing a prowler in the area of Golden West Street and Stahov Avenue. Woessner said officers arrived and found Kevin Scott Davis, 29, who was believed by the officers to be under the influence of heroin.

Woessner said Davis, who was staying at the Sixpence Inn about a block away, allowed officers to search his room. They found “a drill, a fuse and some black powder,” Woessner said.

Randy Gene Chrapkowski, 32, who shared the room with Davis, was in the shower when officers arrived. Police said Chrapkowski told them the materials did not belong to him.

Davis said the explosive materials belonged to “some friends” and that they had placed “a bomb in the bushes” outside the motel, Woessner said. He said part of the inn was evacuated while officers searched--and soon found--a pipe bomb. It was in a planter next to one of the motel walls, Woessner said.

The Sheriff’s Department bomb squad arrived, determined that the bomb was active, although its fuse had not been lighted, and took it away, Woessner said.

Davis was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of a narcotic, and Chrapkowski was taken into custody on an outstanding traffic warrant, Woessner said. Both men were booked into Orange County Jail.