Police charge father and son for explosion outside Catasauqua polling place

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Authorities have arrested a 56-year-old Catasauqua man and are searching for his 24-year-old son in connection to the explosive device that detonated around the corner from a borough polling place Tuesday morning.

Authorities located 17 similar explosive devices inside a 1998 green Chevrolet pickup truck parked outside Jack and Matthew Pletz's home Tuesday, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said Thursday.

A plastic-encased explosive device filler also was located inside the vehicle, police said.

Witnesses and surveillance footage spotted the two men in the pickup driving away from the corner of Third Street and Walnut Street moments before an M-type explosive detonated in the intersection about 9:10 a.m., Holihan said.

While initial reports Tuesday gave conflicting accounts of damage from the explosive, Holihan said Thursday the detonation caused minimal, if any, damage.

No one was harmed by the detonation, but Holihan said the devices are powerful enough to cause serious bodily injury.

The explosion occurred a few dozen feet from the front door of Salem United Church of Christ, which was Catasauqua's First District polling place for the midterm primary.

Holihan said no evidence exists at this time to link the explosion to the primary, but authorities are continuing investigate the case.

Holihan said officials do not have a motive for the incident at this time.

"I don't know, and we're not going to speculate on it," Holihan said.

Photo courtesy of the Lehigh County District Attorney's office

Explosion caused election concerns

The loud explosion so close to a polling place drew heavy police presence, including borough police, state police, the Allentown bomb squad, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Voting continued as normal at the church, but voters were directed to enter through an alternate entrance so as not to interfere with the police investigation.

Matthew Pletz, 56, was arrested Tuesday night and is Lehigh County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail, Holihan said.

Police continue to search for Jack Pletz. The two men live within two blocks of the church.

Given his alleged recent possession of explosives, Holihan advised the public not to approach Jack Pletz if spotted and to call 911.

Jack Pletz is described as a white man who stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds.

The two suspects are charged with conspiracy to manufacture weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to commit risking a catastrophe, conspiracy to carrying explosives on conveyances and conspiracy to make offensive weapons, conspiracy to possess prohibited offensive weapons.

At this point, authorities are not investigating whether the two men may be linked to other reports of explosions in the Catasauqua area, Holihan said.

There were only two contested primary races for public office in Catasauqua Tuesday — the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District and the Republican primary for lieutenant governor.

Both races were decided by significant margins and could not have been affected by the small number of voters registered in Catasauqua's First District.