Incendiary device charges filed in Goldfield incident

Formal charges have been filed against the two individuals arrested in connection to the homemade bombs found in a vehicle parked outside the Esmeralda County courthouse in Goldfield last week.

Bobby McAnally, 32, and Rebecca Leavitt, 28, appeared in Esmeralda County Justice Court Monday to be arraigned on charges of possession of component of explosive or incendiary device with intent to manufacture explosive or incendiary device, possession of explosive or incendiary device in or near certain public or private areas, discharging firearm within or from structure or vehicle, transportation or receipt of explosives for unlawful purpose and use or possession of explosives during commission of felony, which stem from a Sept. 17 incident outside the county courthouse.

McAnally was additionally charged with possession of firearm by ex-felon.

According to a criminal complaint filed in the case last Friday by the Esmeralda County District Attorney’s office, McAnally and Leavitt are alleged to have possessed approximately 20 to 30 sticks of loose dynamite in their vehicle as well as two homemade bombs and a .22 caliber rifle.

The first bomb is described in the complaint as a “black taped up round tube with an orange fuse, approximately eight inches long, protruding from the tube on one side.”

The second device is described in the charges as “two bundles of dynamite wrapped up in bundles of three with orange fuse approximately five inches long coming from the device.”

An Esmeralda County Sheriff’s deputy found the items in McAnally and Leavitt’s car last week after they stopped to report a dispute between themselves and the occupants of another vehicle that started in Tonopah.

The responding deputy decided to search their vehicle after it was learned that shots had been fired in the altercation, which is when the items were discovered.

According to occupants of the second vehicle Anthony “Butch” Stone and his brother Nick Stone, the pair was spotted around 6 a.m. in Tonopah the morning of the incident and attempted to confront them about several items they believed McAnally had stolen from their family.

Anthony Stone said Leavitt then fired a shot from the rifle at their car, before telling the brothers she was calling police.

Wanting to protect themselves from her allegations and to keep McAnally and Leavitt from being able to dispose of the firearm, Anthony Stone said they followed the suspects into Esmeralda County and also called police.

McAnally and Leavitt were subsequently arrested and approximately 100 people living and working within a 1,500-foot radius of their vehicle, including about 50 people from a nearby school, were evacuated after the two bombs were discovered.

The FBI Las Vegas Division has reportedly taken the primary lead in the investigation.

Esmeralda County Sheriff Kenneth Elgan said last week the suspects could potentially face federal charges in addition to the state charges his office planned to file.

As of Wednesday both McAnally and Leavitt remained in custody.