A Texas man has been accused of placing explosives under toilet seats at multiple locations of a local car wash chain. Paul Moses Alden, 46, who was a member of the business, was arrested last week and charged with one count of arson causing reckless damage or bodily injury. He allegedly placed small explosives under the toilet seats that would detonate under pressure, the New York Post reported.
A probable cause affidavit from the San Antonio Police Department dated July 27, 2024, outlined several incidents that occurred at Wash Tub Car Centers in the area. In three reported cases, "small explosions" were triggered under toilet seats at two of the car wash chain's locations.
Managers informed police that the first two incidents happened on July 19 and 20 at the Wash Tub on Bandera Road in Helotes, Texas. A company representative explained that on both days, customers using the bathroom heard "loud bangs" in the restroom.
During the second incident, a female customer was injured. The affidavit notes: "The female customer was reportedly very upset and left the location before a report was made. The Helotes Police Department responded to the location to take the report and document the scene."
The third incident occurred at 5:56 p.m. at the Wash Tub on N Loop 1604 E in San Antonio. The affidavit stated: "During this incident, two loud 'bangs' were heard from the bathroom at two separate times while an employee (the victim) and a child were using the toilet."
A company representative told the police that a male customer had been identified as a suspect. Though they did not initially know his name, the suspect left before authorities arrived. The report mentioned: "The defendant was identified by management as the suspect setting these fireworks/small explosives from security video, which showed him arriving at all three incidents before the explosions, using the same vehicle and membership information."
The security footage reportedly shows Alden leaving the bathroom and then waiting in the area until the explosives went off. Wash Tub management later provided investigators with debris from the bathrooms and confirmed Alden's identity through their customer records.
Alden, described as a regular customer, was arrested and released on the same day after posting a $50,000 bond. It is not clear when he is scheduled to reappear in court. A spokesperson for the car wash chain told CBS affiliate KENS that they were "very pleased" with the investigators' work and emphasized their commitment to fully cooperate with the San Antonio Police Department and the District Attorney's Office.
