The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

November 17, 2009

Charges head to county court in homemade bomb case

By Tom Davidson

FARRELL — A Farrell woman accused of having her 12-year-old son make and detonate a chemical bomb in the driveway of a Southwest Mercer County Regional policeman on Sept. 3 will have her day in county court.

Rebecca L. Morgan, 37, of 1909 Haywood St., is facing charges of arson, endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and harassment. During a preliminary hearing Tuesday before District Judge Lorinda Hinch, prosecutors added a misdemeanor charge of stalking/retaliation for past official action. Hinch was filling in for a vacationing District Judge Ronald E. Antos.

Ms. Morgan stipulated to the charges Tuesday, meaning she conceded prosecutors have enough evidence for the case to proceed to Mercer County Common Pleas Court.

The explosion occurred at about 10:30 p.m. Sept. 3 at the home of Sgt. William Hite, police said.

A Southwest corporal saw a minivan driving without lights leaving the area about a block away and stopped it, police said. Ms. Morgan was driving and her son was a passenger, police said.

Ms. Morgan told police at the time she did not hear an explosion and was released. Police interviewed the boy Sunday, they said.

The boy said he made the bomb out of a common cleaner and aluminum foil at the insistence of his mother, police said. The boy threw the bomb in Hite’s driveway because Ms. Morgan wanted to retaliate for an investigation in which her daughter was taken from her custody, police said.

Ms. Morgan told court officials she suffers from a terminal illness and is undergoing chemotherapy. She is free on bond.

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