Earlier closure of I-15 sparked by belief suspect carried ricin, grenades

The closure of a stretch of Interstate 15 for more than 12 hours starting Tuesday afternoon began with a bank robbery in a rural Nevada town and ended with the suspect's suicide and a belief by authorities that he had ricin and grenades in his vehicle, an official with the Arizona Department of Public Safety said Wednesday.

Officer Carrick Cook, with the Arizona agency, said the bank robber, Troy Eugene Williams, 43, was pulled over near Littlefield, Ariz., about 1 p.m. Tuesday.

About 90 minutes earlier, authorities in Mesquite, around 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, suspected Williams, of Punta Gorda, Fla., robbed a bank of $2,800, Mesquite police said.

An all-points bulletin was put out for Williams and his getaway vehicle.

An Arizona DPS officer saw a vehicle fitting the description of Williams' car headed north on I-15 near mile marker 11. The officer pulled the vehicle over at mile marker 20.

Williams fatally shot himself as an officer tried to make contact with him.

Cook said that was when a stretch of I-15 near Littlefield was closed in both directions.

During the course of their investigation, authorities learned that Williams had called a family member, who thought he had ricin and grenades in his vehicle, Cook said.

He said ricin, a highly poisonous substance, could have caused "mass casualties" if it became airborne.

"We would rather inconvenience people and be safe than to be reckless and let people drive," Cook said. "It's an extremely toxic substance."

Neither ricin nor grenades were found in Williams' vehicle.

Cook said I-15 was closed in both directions from 3 p.m. Tuesday until 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The highway was closed from exit 8 in Arizona, near Littlefield, to exit 2 in Utah, which is south of St. George. That stretch is about 23 miles.

Cook said he has never been involved in a situation that involved three states and included a bank robbery, suicide and the belief that toxic chemicals and explosives were involved.

"It's a unique experience for everybody involved," he said.

Review-Journal reporter Mike Blasky contributed to this report. Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@
reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.