Story perspectives

80-Year-Old Arrested After Dynamite Found Near Diesel Tank

4/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

Police found decades-old dynamite beside a 2,500-gallon diesel tank while responding to a domestic-violence call.
An evacuation of a 2,000-foot radius around 1100 West and 1400 North was ordered, sending residents to LDS meetinghouse at 1930 North and 600 West.
Authorities arrested Dwayne Raymond Hughes, 80, for explosive and reckless endangerment charges, and Spencer Dean Hughes for property-damage charges after his excavator toppled a tree that hit the diesel tank.

History

Historical Context

Timothy McVeigh’s April 19 1995 truck bomb of the Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 and using over 4 tons of ammonium nitrate, spurred federal building security upgrades and stricter fertilizer-storage laws. Decades later, Utah police in 2024 uncovered dynamite beside a 2,500-gallon diesel tank, arresting Dwayne Raymond Hughes and his son, illustrating how the 1995 tragedy continues to shape explosive-safety policies and coordinated evacuations.

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Story summary

Police found decades-old dynamite beside a 2,500-gallon diesel tank while responding to a domestic-violence call.
An evacuation of a 2,000-foot radius around 1100 West and 1400 North was ordered, sending residents to LDS meetinghouse at 1930 North and 600 West.
Authorities arrested Dwayne Raymond Hughes, 80, for explosive and reckless endangerment charges, and Spencer Dean Hughes for property-damage charges after his excavator toppled a tree that hit the diesel tank.

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