South Jordan Files Suit To Tear Down, Burn House Where Explosives Were Found
Mar 3, 2021, 6:55 PM | Updated: 7:41 pm
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – The inside of a boarded-up home in South Jordan could be covered with destabilized explosives and the only way to make it safe is to tear the house down and burn it, according to a lawsuit filed by the city.
“Liquid TATp that has crystalized and destabilized may have splashed on the walls or ceiling, seeped into and under the carpet, leached through the drywall, cracks or joints, or may have been washed or poured down any one of the several drains in the home,” city attorneys write in the new lawsuit.
The home, located at 3371 West Snow Moon Place, was the site of a standoff between the homeowner and police last summer where police were fired upon. Afterward, officers found a stockpile of explosives inside the home.
South Jordan wants to tear down and burn the home where explosives were found last summer.
"We want to get rid of it and demolish that house as soon as possible"
NEXT at 6 p.m. on @KSL5TV why a new lawsuit says the boarded-up home could be full of destabilized explosives. pic.twitter.com/4IgTog4yxk
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) March 4, 2021
The owner of the home, Ryan McManigal, faces multiple felony charges related to the incident.
“Ever since the initial explosion we started working with the mortgage company and Ryan McManigal to try to mitigate the danger within that house,” said South Jordan spokesperson Rachael Van Cleave.
Over the July 24 holiday, bomb technicians removed most of the explosives, but multiple gallons of liquid TATp that were discovered in the basement had to be detonated, requiring hundreds of neighbors to evacuate.
“There is no safe way to locate and neutralize the highly explosive and unstable materials that may still exist inside the McManigal House,” the lawsuit states. “The only way to safely abate the dangerous nuisance that this home has become, is to follow a plan prepared by experts which will necessitate that the home be torn down and burned.”
Even though the home is boarded up and covered with “no trespassing” and “danger” signs, the city says people are still going inside.
“We really would like to have it torn down,” said Kathy Dalley, who lives nearby. “It’s not safe. It’s not good for the kids walking by there and it’s a good neighborhood and it’s just an eyesore.”
Police removed a trespasser around Christmastime and the lawsuit says relatives of McManigal have entered the home to make repairs. On Halloween, a person working in the basement suffered serious injuries from an explosion.
“When the worker stepped on that area of the floor where the crystalized TATp was located, that pressure was enough to cause an explosion,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit asks the court to order McManigal to tear down, burn the home and dispose of the debris under the supervision of experts. If McManigal fails to do so, the city wants permission to carry out the plan itself in the interest of public safety.
“Conducting any sort of repair or demolition inside the house could set off the dangerous chemical,” the lawsuit reads. “Even putting a nail in the wall in the wrong place to hang a picture could be deadly.”
