Man arrested in bomb squad probe

A man was arrested Tuesday afternoon and faces charges of violating his probation after Las Vegas police and a federal law enforcement agency investigated a possible explosive for nearly seven hours at his southeast valley home.

John S. Christopher, 41, was sentenced to 12 to 34 months of probation in December for attempted forgery. He now faces one charge of violating his probation after at least two probation officers conducted a regular visit to his parents’ home, where he was living, and found “dangerous materials” in his room, according to the Department of Public Safety Parole and Probation Division.

Christopher’s 67-year-old mother, Gloria Christopher, said that when officers found a rifle in her son’s room, they asked what else he had.

He said something else explosive was in a safe in his room, Gloria Christopher said, though she said she didn’t know what it was, and the probation officers alerted police.

Metro’s ARMOR team and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded about 8:45 a.m. to the home in the 4200 block of Ridgecrest Drive, near the intersection of Sandhill and Flamingo Roads and Christopher was detained.

Some residents nearby were evacuated as a precaution, Metro spokesman Officer Larry Hadfield said.

But a neighbor who lives in the house next to the Christophers’ said she was not told about the investigation or to leave her home, even when she went outside to take a photo from her driveway.

Jessica Hollie said she was inside with her elderly aunt and son, who is a toddler, when a friend arrived at her house about 10:45 a.m. The friend had to enter through the side door of the house because the driveway was blocked by police, Hollie said.

Hollie went outside to take a photo from her driveway about five minutes later and was told by a Metro officer to go back inside. That was when she decided to take her family to a relative’s house across town.

Hollie said her next door neighbors are pleasant, but she doesn’t know anything about them.

“I see them from the driveway and we smile and wave and go about our business,” Hollie said.

Few details about John Christopher or whether there was an explosive device were available because the investigation is still ongoing, Department of Public Safety spokesman Lt. Shane Brandon said about 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Brandon could not say whether there were other people in the house besides Christopher and his parents.

There was no word on whether authorities detinated anything.

ATF representatives were not available Friday evening for comment.

The Christophers’ house is only four houses down from former Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren’s, which he dubbed the “Hammargren Home of Nevada History.” Hammargren’s home museum at 4318 Ridgecrest Drive showcases Nevada historical items he has collected over the years.

Photographer Chase Stevens and reporter Kimber Laux contributed to this report.

Contact reporter Cassandra Taloma at ctaloma@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @CassandraTaloma