Brothers accused of throwing pipe bomb at Freedom Township bar on Sept. 11
Two brothers are accused of detonating a pipe bomb outside a Freedom Township bar on Sept. 11 after another man set fire to a hallway in the basement to distract customers, Michigan State Police said.
No one was injured in the fire and explosion at the Pleasant Lake Inn, but it blew a hole in a deck and shattered at least one window, showering a man with broken glass, troopers said.
Joshua Andrew Hafner-Canter, 19, of Manchester, and Joseph Allen Hafner-Canter, 20, of Saline, were charged Monday with two counts each of arson of a dwelling, arson of real property and placing an explosive near property causing damage, Washtenaw County court records show.
Up to four more arrests are possible, records show. If convicted, the brothers could spend the rest of their lives in prison.
Joshua Hafner-Canter was arraigned Monday afternoon at the Washtenaw County Jail, where he is being held on a $10,000 cash or surety bond.
According to The Jackson Citizen Patriot, Joseph Hafner-Canter also is in custody, and the brothers are allegedly part of a larger crime ring involved in drug trafficking.
Police say the brothers and another man, who has not been charged, went to the bar on Pleasant Lake Road at 11:20 p.m. on Sept. 11 on orders to retaliate against an employee who reportedly owed one of their associates money.
The brothers planned to throw the pipe bomb through a window into the bar, State Police Lt. Wynonia Sturdivant said. Numerous people were inside that night, she said.
To distract patrons, the man with the brothers was going to set a fire in the basement hallway, using gasoline to fuel it. Three apartments are in the basement, including one that was occupied that night, Sturdivant said. Once the fire was set, the man was to call the brothers, which was their signal to throw the bomb, troopers said.
According to Sturdivant, the man set the fire but forgot his phone. Joshua Hafner-Canter threw the bomb anyway, troopers said, but it fell short of the bar, exploding and leaving a large hole in the deck.
A man who lives in the basement and was attempting to evacuate from the fire was hit with broken glass when a window blew out, Sturdivant said.
Joshua Hafner-Canter received an envelope containing $1,000 for his role in the crime, Sturdivant said.
Manchester firefighters extinguished the fire that night, but no one saw remnants of the pipe bomb until the following afternoon, court records show.
That's when state police bomb investigators and ATF agents responded, recovering pieces of PVC pipe, large bolts, a clamp, black electrical tape and other items, court records show.
Sections of carpet in the basement hallway were analyzed, and the presence of gasoline was found, records show. Some lab results didn't come back until June.
Bar employees couldn't be reached for comment Monday.
Joshua Hafner-Canter was arraigned Monday in front of Magistrate Thomas Truesdell, who set the $10,000 cash or surety bail.
“These are pretty serious charges,” Truesdell said. “It certainly causes concern there might be a danger to the public.”
Hafner-Canter said it was a “misunderstanding.” He said he has no adult criminal record and works at a restaurant in Saline, making about $100 weekly. Truesdell said he would appoint a public defender to represent Hafner-Canter.
A preliminary hearing for Hafner-Canter is scheduled for Aug. 12.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 or e-mail at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
townie54
Sat, Oct 16, 2010 : 4:09 p.m.
Tibbs what are you talking about?It should come with subtitles.
kayla
Wed, Aug 11, 2010 : 9:09 p.m.
it was in 2009
Mr. Tibbs
Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 12:57 p.m.
what is left out entirely is the fact that drugs are being sold out here in a farming community where there was never this kind of stupidity in this kind of environent. Decent kids are being bent into the hienous crime of suicide. SLow suicide of helping illegals with funding of their illegal existance in our country. helping drug cartels maintain a profit margin even after they were federally ordered out of the inner cities. as I asid in another spot, this isn't all bad, because hunting accidents happen all the time, and I didn't see a thing..... Of course I am going to be held to task about the only place decent kids will be is out in the country but I can garantee you that the chances for stupidity are far higher than in a city where anonymity is not only a given, it seems to be a right of passage. To remain faceless in a crime ridden society because the gang makes it so. Ever hear of the "crabs in a bucket syndrome?" it is staring you in the face after all. We are called racists for criticising Obama when his mother is white.....somehow he is considered black....and not the least bit white. go figure. And yes I do know people from South Africa, who actually tried to use the title african american but could not because they were white..... Off on a tangent? Maybe, to the narrow minded, but to look at the big picture you have to understand everything is connected to everything else. none of that would exist without none of this, a symbiotic relationship as it IS!
Jennifer
Thu, Aug 5, 2010 : 9:03 p.m.
There is more to this than what meets the eyes.
Kelly Parkinson
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 5:59 p.m.
I know the people working @ the PLI that evening. Yes, it was Sept 11, 2009. As of 2 days ago, NO one had been charged and very little information was available to the survivors. Yes, I said survivors. There were 40+ people in that place. This could have been a real tragedy. I hope they rot in jail.
Ricebrnr
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 11:38 a.m.
Umm yeah, arson AND BOMBS? Where are the charges for domestic terrorism? They manufactured and actually used a bomb. Why weren't they rounded up with national media attention? Have they been in jail since the investigation began and this whole time? Granted bail??? These are pretty serious charges, Truesdell said. It certainly causes concern there might be a danger to the public. Meanwhile people who didn't have any bombs are left to rot in jail, "for our safety." Feeling safer?
81COM
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:11 a.m.
Given the date they chose to do this on, the fact that both the bar and the apartments are occupied, the tools they used to commit the crime. I would call it nothing less than an act of terrorism and should be delt with accordingly. Yeah there is a misunderstanding alright.
bunnyabbot
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 9:43 a.m.
it probably took a year b/c they wanted to see who else was involved, if they are part of a larger "ring" than they'll probably turn evidence for lesser charges/sentencing etc. Sounds like if they targeted this place someone owed someone money and the ultimate hope was to file an insurance claim. Luckily no one was hurt more than just some broken glass. I hope all the idiots involved are put on short leashes and kept locked up.
AlwaysLate
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 8:39 a.m.
Keystone Bombers & Keystone Cops. I can't decide which is more depressing...the bumbling bombers...or the bumbling cops that took eleven months to bring charges and make an arrest.
Jay Allen
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 8:38 a.m.
krc is spot on. There is no fix in this one.
Gorc
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 7:37 a.m.
I was so dumb founded as I read the article...that I failed to mention that I was also dumb founded by their stupid actions. Dave66 thanks for smacking me back into reality.
krc
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 7:18 a.m.
Yeah, you can't fix stupid.
ThaKillaBee
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 7:15 a.m.
Was this Sep 11, 2009??? Or THE September 11th?? There is no year.
Dave66
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 7:09 a.m.
I'm not. Stupid people say and do stupid things. Like this. *sigh* Unfortunately, there's no cure for stupidity.
Gorc
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 7:05 a.m.
Hafner-Canton said it was a "misunderstanding"....I am completely dumb founded by that statement.