WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Boynton Beach man suspected of setting off several pipe bombs near his apartment has died in his jail cell.
Gregory Haasze, 34, was found Saturday night with a torn sheet tied around his neck, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said Monday.
The deputy who made the discovery cut the sheet from Haasze's neck and attempted to revive him, but Haasze was pronounced dead by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue personnel.
Haasze was arrested Thursday on 26 counts of making, possessing, throwing, projecting, placing or discharging a destructive device.
Boynton Beach police said officers were called to an explosion Wednesday night on Velaire Drive.
When officers arrived, they found several partially detonated devices in the road, along with six additional devices that appeared to be PVC pipes sealed with a PVC cap on each end, and a fuse attached.
Inside the PVC pipes were black powder, nails, metal screws and metal pellets.
According to an arrest report, police were approached by a neighbor who said a man who lives in the area, later identified as Haasze, "makes his own explosives and sets them off periodically."
Police said Haasze later told detectives "he has made 'devices' for several years," buying the materials on eBay.
"Haasze fully admitted the devices were intended to detonate," the arrest report said. "However, he maintained he never intended to harm anyone."
According to police, Haasze said he saw the police activity near his apartment and "realized he was in trouble," so he tossed a cardboard box containing several bottles of black gunpowder and several additional destructive devices in a nearby dumpster.