HASTINGS, Minn. — A 57-year-old man is accused of placing an explosive device near a primary school in the southeast of the metropolis early last year.

The Hastings man is charged with possession of an explosive/incendiary device, according to a complaint filed last Wednesday in Dakota County.

On February 10, 2023, according to the indictment, someone reported finding what they believed to be a small “banger” near an elementary school in Hastings. The reporting person had taken the item home and placed it in her garage, reportedly thinking it was trash before realizing it was explosives.

The St. Paul Bomb Squad and the FBI were contacted regarding the explosives.

According to the indictment, on August 10, 2023, the FBI concluded that the item was a “certified enhanced explosive device” (also known as an IED) and that it was functional.

Investigators found DNA on the inside and outside of the explosive device and were able to link it to the suspect.

When he was arrested in September 2023, according to the indictment, the man initially claimed he had never built bombs, explosives or fireworks and denied placing anything near the school. When asked if his DNA was on the device, the suspect reportedly said, “I probably had it once.”

He later told investigators he threw “an M80 or something like that” around his birthday on February 9. He added that he “constantly” walks down the street where the explosive device was found, the indictment says.

The man was arrested last Wednesday and is being held on $150,000 bail. His next court hearing is scheduled for September 11.