A North Texas woman was arrested Saturday night after police found nine homemade bombs in her backpack, following a string of mysterious fires that had plagued Commerce recently.
The arrest of 26-year-old Jamia Howell comes as authorities investigate multiple fires reported across the small city since February 20.
A Commerce police officer spotted a fire at Centennial Park Saturday evening and noticed a woman leaving the area. Officers detained Howell and discovered the cache of Molotov cocktails, along with a lighter and bomb-making materials.
Howell reportedly admitted to “testing” the devices around the city. She faces charges of arson and possession of a prohibited weapon, with additional charges possible.
The explosive devices, commonly called Molotov cocktails, consist of glass bottles filled with flammable liquid and cloth wicks. When thrown, the bottles shatter on impact and ignite.
The term originated during the 1939-1940 Winter War, when Finnish soldiers mockingly named the weapons after Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov.
Commerce, located about 70 miles northeast of Dallas, had experienced 36 hours of unexplained fires before Saturday’s arrest. Police continue investigating the extent of Howell’s alleged activities.
