Man Arrested in Bethesda Park; Planned to Ignite Fireworks on National Mall

Update, 6:45 a.m.: Neff was working on the aiming device mounted on top of his Jeep when he was approached by a Maryland-National Capital Park Police officer and arrested around 8:30 p.m. Monday, Graham told Patch. There was a tarp over the top of the vehicle and Neff was working on something underneath the tarp, Graham said.

The device, which could be controlled from inside the car, would have allowed Neff to "shoot [the fireworks] horizontally from the top of car and move it side to side," Graham said.

The device was "close to being finished," Graham said.

Authorities aren't saying exactly how many fireworks were discovered, but Graham said it was a "significant" amount. He wouldn't provide more detail on what Neff said his intention was with the device.

"For someone who didn't want to harm anyone, the potential certainly was there for him to do harm," Graham said.

Update, 6:30 a.m.: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue have released a video of bomb technicians at work dismantling the device.

Update, 6:04 a.m.: Appearing on ABC7's Good Morning Washington, Assistant Chief Scott Graham, a spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, said authorities discovered a "significant" amount of fireworks in the vehicle. The turret device would have allowed the man to "launch [the fireworks] in a horizontal fashion and aim them in any direction."

Bomb technicians were on the scene "taking [the device] apart methodically piece by piece through the night," Graham told ABC7.

Update, 5:39 a.m.: ABC7 is reporting Neff told authorities he was "30 minutes away" from driving to the Mall. Neff was spotted in the park around 8:30 p.m. Monday, according to ABC7.

Original post, 5:32 a.m.: A 27-year-old Florida man is in custody after planning to ignite fireworks on the National Mall from a device mounted on his Jeep, according to the Maryland-National Capital Park Police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.

Glenn Neff, of Stewart, Fla., was arrested Monday in Cabin John Regional Park, according to a news release. A Maryland-National Capital Park Police officer on patrol approached Neff after seeing him parked in a red Jeep Cherokee in a secluded area of the park after the park was closed. The officer found fireworks in the Jeep. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue responded, and investigators discovered that Jeep had been “fitted with a turret and multiple tubes from which fireworks were to be deployed,” according to the news release.

Alcohol and drug paraphernalia were also discovered in the Jeep.

Neff told authorities he intended to ignite the fireworks on the National Mall. “Neff made statements that he didn’t want to hurt anyone,” the news release read. “The device was made to draw attention to himself and issues he had with the banking industry.”

The Joint Terrorism Task Force responded to the scene, along with Montgomery County Fire and Explosive Investigations Section, which rendered the devices safe.

Charges are pending against Neff. Stay tuned to Patch for more updates in this story.