Bedford bombing suspect was charged in February with possessing explosives in Hurst
A man accused of detonating an explosive device Wednesday in a Bedford drainage culvert is the same suspect who was arrested in Hurst a few weeks ago in connection with possessing explosive components in his apartment, according to Tarrant County criminal court and jail records.
No injuries were reported in the Wednesday explosion.
Bedford police on Friday identified the suspect as Nicholas Nelson, 37, of Bedford.
He was in the Tarrant County Jail on Friday facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which is a first-degree felony, and possession of components of explosives, a third-degree felony.
Nelson was arrested early Thursday.
Authorities believe the Wednesday explosion was an isolated incident.
Nelson faces an aggravated assault charge in Bedford because there was risk posed to residents who were in the immediate area of the explosion near a bridge in the 2000 block of Forest Ridge Drive.
Detectives said there were no specifically targeted residents.
According to a search warrant, a confidential informant alerted Hurst police in February that there was a man named Nick Nelson who lived in the Valley Oaks Apartments, 101 E. Pipeline Road in Hurst, and he was building explosive devices.
The informant also noted that Nelson had set off explosive devices near the apartment complex and that he had a program called “Improvised Chaos” on YouTube.
Hurst detectives quickly investigated the report, corroborated the information and obtained a search warrant for the apartment.
Nelson was arrested in February and later released on $8,500 bond on charges related to the explosive components found in his Hurst apartment.
During the Hurst investigation, investigators discovered that Nelson had posted several videos on YouTube on how to build explosive devices and he recorded other videos showing him blowing up a 55-gallon drum, trees and other objects, Hurst police said.
The videos never showed his face, just hands building devices and a voice providing instructions, according to a warrant.
Nelson was charged on Feb. 24 with possession of a controlled substance and two counts of possessing components of explosives in the Hurst case, according to court records.
Nelson moved out of his Hurst apartment to an apartment in Bedford, according to criminal court records.
This story was originally published April 9, 2021 at 11:48 AM.
