I think these kids must be borderline retarded though.
1. They were unable to escape from a deacon, though I suppose it is
possible the deacon had training in shaolin kung fu.
2. Their car got stuck in the mud so they couldn't drive off.
3. One kid tried to destroy evidence using gasoline but he lit the
gasoline while standing in it.
Cult members arrested for trying to bomb
church
Group described as radical Christian activists
By Matt Smith/Staff Writer
Burleson police arrested two men Wednesday and one Thursday who
cited religious beliefs in attempting to detonate a bomb at Victory
Family Church in Burleson.
According to reports, the suspects Dayton Lee Calaway, 19, of
Burleson, Michael Philip Plaisted Jr., 18, of Burleson, Jered
Michael Ragon, 18, of Burleson, and an underage boy twice
attempted to detonate the device before being interrupted by a
deacon. Police discovered the device propped against the church
door.
Police officers responding Wednesday to a call of suspicious
activity at the church, which is under construction, found the
deacon had detained Calaway and Plaisted. The deacon, whose name
has not been released, said he caught the pair after they attempted
to run but became stuck in mud. Ragon and the boy fled the scene in
a vehicle.
While investigating the events at the church, police received a
call about a fire in a field about two to three miles from the
church. A resident saw a plume of smoke, heard screaming and saw a
man run out of a wooded area and leave in a vehicle. According to
reports, Ragon was attempting to destroy evidence on the
manufacturing of the explosive device. Police said Ragon, who was
wearing sandals, doused the evidence with gasoline but did not
realize he was standing in a puddle of gasoline when he lit the
fire. His feet were burned in the fire. A MedStar ambulance treated
him at the Burleson Police Department the next day, but he refused
transport to the hospital.
Although Burleson Police Cmdr. Chris Havens declined to elaborate
on the bomb, he said it was a simple, homemade device, the plans
for which could probably be easily found on the Internet. Had the
device detonated it would have caused a substantial explosion and
probably led to a fire in the church, he said.
Plaisted and Calaway implicated Ragon during interviews after their
arrests, Burleson Detective Tom Catron said, and all three
subsequently admitted to involvement in a religious group that made
the bomb. Ragon voluntarily came in for questioning and was
arrested then, police said.
Although the name of the group the three associate with is unknown,
Havens said the men identified themselves as radical Christian
activists who oppose government and organized religion.
They said the act at the church was a test of the device itself
and to get the attention of the community, Havens said.
Group members share common beliefs about the demise of society,
which they believe has become too focused on self-improvement and
self-gratification and lost its focus on the glorification of God,
police said. The group is attempting to wake up society by
committing destructive acts, according to reports. Group members
further believe there are too many denominations and churches, and
there ought to be only one.
The group has three levels of membership, according to what the
suspects told police. Weekly Bible study at a Burleson park is the
first. Consensual fighting and involvement in destructive acts are
the second and third, respectively. One of the core beliefs of the
group, however, is free thought, so participation in the second two
levels is not mandatory.
The group consists of about 10 to 15 members, Havens said. Police
think the members are teenagers and residents of Burleson and Fort
Worth. Police are hoping for cooperation from the three suspects to
locate and interview other group members.
Police consider the group domestic terrorists, Havens said.
Police did not charge the fourth suspect, a juvenile, because all
three suspects said he was not involved.
Calaway, Plaisted and Ragon face sentences of five to 99 years in
state jail, Havens said. The state charges would be dropped if
federal charges are filed.
Two of the suspects admitted to involvement in a fire at a
recycling bin near CenterPointe Church on Alsbury Boulevard last
spring. The two targeted a recycling bin, police said, because they
believe the older generation is making the younger generation clean
up the mess.
Burleson Fire Marshal Stacy Singleton caught Ragon lighting
Styrofoam plates on fire in 2006 on Alsbury. Ragon was not arrested
then.
A representative at Victory Family Church declined to comment on
the incident.
Calaway, Plaisted and Ragon have been charged with arson at a place
of worship, a first-degree felony. All three remain in the Johnson
County Corrections Center on $30,000 bonds. Ragon has a second bond
of $5,000 for tampering with physical evidence.
Havens said Friday that the U.S. Attorneys office intends to file
federal charges.
