A Drunk and Disorderly Call Led Cops to Potential 'Weapon of Mass Destruction'

Police responding to a 911 call in DeBary, Florida, on Sunday not only found the drunk and disorderly 31-year-old they had been warned about, but also uncovered the arsenal of materials he was allegedly using to make explosives, potentially enough to take out an entire city block.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, cops found at least four suspected explosive devices at the home Christopher Langer, 31, shares with his parents. They also found bomb-making and booby trap manuals, roughly 200 containers filled with powders and acids, and several bottles of urine that he had kept in his bedroom, which may have also been used to make explosives. Cops also uncovered a Spongebob lunchbox that was rigged with the makings of a bomb.

Volusia County sheriff Mike Chitwood told the Washington Post that if police hadn't discovered the materials, Langer "could have blown up the block."

"That domestic violence call probably saved us from making national and international news," Chitwood told Orlando's News 6. "He has all the components in there to make a weapon of mass destruction."

The routine domestic disturbance call quickly turned into a bomb squad and Hazmat situation after Langer told cops he had packed a grenade with an explosive substance in the heat of an argument with his folks, News 6 reports. When the cops questioned him about the device, he denied it existed—then allegedly led them straight to it.

That's when the local cops decided to call in Hazmat units, bomb robots, and members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to the suburban home, where they evacuated the nearby neighbors and worked for 13 hours to remove the chemicals, explosives, and pee-filled bottles. A bomb robot even had to detonate one of the explosives in the backyard, according to the Post.

Langer, who reportedly has a history of psychiatric problems and drug abuse, told investigators he was "anti-government" and "wanted to take revenge against the system"—echoing the alleged motive of a foiled would-be bomber the FBI arrested back in August. Langer also said he specifically wanted to go after first responders, according to police. He's been charged with making and possessing a destructive device, and is being held without bail, according to local ABC affiliate WFTV.

Follow Drew Schwartz on Twitter.

Related: Inside America's Largest Right-Wing Militia