Vehicle Of Terrorism Defendant Located In Wrightstown & Cleared By Bomb Squad

New details came Thursday from the Newtown Township Police Department about one of the vehicles belonging to one of the two local men accused of the failed New York City bombing.

The Newtown Township Police Department issued a press release Thursday detailing the discovery of the 2010 Honda owned by 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi, a resident of the township.

The vehicle was located in the pre-dawn hours of Monday in the Anchor Shopping Center in the 800 block of Durham Road in Wrightstown Township, which is patrolled by Newtown Township police.

Newtown Township police first became involved Saturday evening after Kayumi’s family reported him missing, according to a statement.

Shortly after, an FBI special agent contacted local police to confirm Kayumi was in federal custody after the failed bombing near the mayor’s residence in New York City.

According to police, a K-9 team specializing in explosives alerted to the potential presence of bomb-making materials inside the Honda in the parking lot of the shopping center.

The discovery led to a response from the Philadelphia Police Department Bomb Squad and the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force.

After several hours, officials cleared the vehicle of any explosive devices and impounded it for further investigation.

The shopping center was eventually reopened after law enforcement officials determined there was no remaining threat to the community, police said.

Kayumi and 18-year-old Emir Balat, of the Langhorne section of Middletown Township, remain in federal custody.

The duo was charged Monday by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York with several federal offenses, including use of a weapon of mass destruction and providing material support to ISIS.

The charges stem from an incident on Saturday, March 7, when federal authorities allege the pair traveled from Pennsylvania to Manhattan to target an anti-Muslim protest near Gracie Mansion, the official residence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Court documents state the men deployed improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that failed to detonate.

One of the recovered devices reportedly contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile explosive often referred to as the “Mother of Satan.”

FBI tactical and evidence recovery teams executed warrants Sunday evening at Kayumi’s residence on Clymer Street in Newtown Township and Balat’s family home on Tina Drive in Middletown Township.

On Monday, the FBI searched a Public Storage unit in Middletown Township, where technicians conducted three controlled detonations of items found on-site.

The search yielded “explosive residue,” according to an FBI spokesperson.

Balat recently purchased a fuse at a fireworks store in Penndel Borough, according to security camera footage from the store.

Following his arrest by the NYPD, Balat allegedly shouted, “We take action!” Kayumi reportedly admitted to being inspired by ISIS propaganda.

“At this point, there is no additional belief or communications with the FBI that indicate a continued threat to this area,” the Newtown Township Police Department said in a statement.

The investigation remains active and is being led by the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD.

The FBI and NYPD are asking anyone with information on the case to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.