Suspect in St. David's explosion had box with chemicals in apartment: affidavit
CEDAR PARK, Texas - A new affidavit provides a clearer picture of what happened the night police responded to an explosion at St. David's Medical Center in Central Austin.
"The Austin Fire Department arrived on scene very quickly, and immediately observed that it was not just an average or normal car fire, that there was something more suspicious involved," said Assistant Chief Jeff Greenwalt with the Austin Police Department. "In fact, there was some sort of explosion that caused the fire."
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On August 9, court records show surveillance video of the vehicle explosion and its license plates led investigators to Raymond Garner.
When FOX 7 talked with police the day of the explosion, they said Garner was at the hospital for a business need and was cooperating.
"It's our intention to determine whether this explosion was an intentional act or some sort of accident," said Greenwalt. "Unfortunately, those answers don't come quick."
The following day, investigators searched Garner's Cedar Park apartment.
The affidavit said investigators found napkins with handwritten notes on them listing different chemicals, proportions for those chemicals, and instructions for their combination and processing.
The affidavit said on the same night of the truck explosion at St. David's, Garner texted another individual asking for help removing a box from his apartment.
According to the documents, the individual did retrieve it, but a day later voluntarily surrendered it to police custody.
Investigators said an x-ray of the box discovered a canister with a powdery substance, another with liquid, and one more with wires.
The Austin Police Bomb squad was called, and nearby residents were asked to evacuate.
The affidavit said the department found three precursor chemicals for manufacturing high explosives, also called HMTD, and safety fuses.
"If it's an intentional act, there's obviously going to be a lot of different crimes that are involved with that," said Greenwalt. "Depending on the motive behind what that potential intentionality is, would determine the next steps."
The ATF agent who wrote the affidavit also said in the records he believed Garner violated federal law by attempting to conceal or impair the box's integrity or availability for official use.