On Sunday September 28, 2014 at approximately 8:00 pm, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office responded to an address on N Euphoria Ln in Whetstone regarding a suspicious item.
Deputies arrived at the address and located a propane tank with various hoses and jumper cables connected to it near a gate at the residence, prompting them to contact the Sheriff’s Office Bomb Technician for further evaluation of the item.
The Bomb Tech responded to the residence and made contact with Deputies on scene and identified the following:
1) Propane Cooker (metal stand/base) for a turkey fryer, w/hose & regulator
2) Propane Tank (5 gallon)
3) Pump Assy w/electrical fixtures (approx 8′ cable)
4) Jumper Cables, vehicle
5) Fishing Line, (green fly fishing line)
6) Metal wire/hammer on ground in area
The propane tank was hooked to the cookers hose/regulator and the tank was sitting on top of the cooker. The green line was wrapped around (tangled) around the on/off valve for the tank. The pump and electrical line was tangled up around the hose/regulator. The jumper cables (one end) were hooked/clamped onto the carrying handles for the propane tank, the other end of the jumper cables were lying on the ground (not hooked to anything). The propane tank valve was ‘off’ and was approximately 1/2 full.
No power sources or initiation type items were located in the area. All items were separated with the only possible hazard observed was if the valve on the propane tank were to be opened and the burner was started, heating the tank until it combusted/vented from over pressure. It was also observed that the hose from the burner, regulator and to the tank would have ‘failed’ prior to the tank becoming hot enough to vent/explode.
Deputies were not able to make contact with the property owner/occupant and it is possible the items were placed where they were as an hoax type device or to intimidate potential trespassers.
No further action was taken in this incident.