A man with several suspicious packages parked near a fast food restaurant in East Windsor in the early morning hours Wednesday was arrested after he reportedly alluded to the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas last week.
An officer spotted the vehicle in a Wendy’s parking lot around 3 a.m. and began investigating after finding that the windows to the car were covered with panels and sheets after the restaurant was closed for the night, according to Dep. Chief Benjamin Murphy of the East Windsor Police Department.
Murphy said the driver, later identified as 38-year-old Timmothy Phelan, refused to give the officer his identification and maintained that he was not breaking any laws. He was also allegedly “verbally aggressive” and told the officer that they “were messing with the wrong guy” and that he was “live,” which police took to mean he was broadcasting on social media, according to Murphy.
Phelan was physically removed from the vehicle after he refused several times to identify himself or get out on his own, Murphy said. During a search of the car, an officer found several wrapped items that were ticking and beeping. When asked about the suspicious packages, Phelan reportedly told police to “just open them” and “you’ll find out,” Murphy said.
According to Murphy, Phelan then began referencing the explosion last week involving a Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Police then made the decision to call for the Connecticut State Police Bomb Squad.
The Warehouse Point Fire Department responded and assisted with shutting down several roads and intersections until the bomb squad could investigate the packages. Police said the intersection of Route 5 and Route 140 was closed for several hours.
According to Murphy, the bomb squad found that the items were harmless, at which point the area was reopened.
Phelan was charged with first-degree breach of peace, simple trespass and interfering with an officer. He was expected to be arraigned the same day in Hartford Superior Court.
