NM police say dad taught son, 6, to make bombs

[July 09, 2010]  LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) -- A man accused of teaching his 6-year-old son how to build explosives has been arrested and charged with child abuse.

Anthony Stromberg, 44, was being held Thursday in the Las Cruces jail on $150,000 bond. He faces one charge of intentionally caused child abuse, a third-degree felony.

Las Cruces detectives said Stromberg gave his son detailed lessons on how to build explosives and that the boy went to the desert several times with his father to blow up explosives.

Detectives also alleged that after an argument with the child's 26-year-old mother about two weeks ago, Stromberg told the boy he was going to kidnap her and shoot her.

The parents do not live together but share custody of the boy. The mother is his primary caretaker.

Authorities said the boy confided in an adult, who alerted police.

Stromberg, a heavy equipment operator, was arrested by the Las Cruces Police Department's SWAT team, with help from federal, state and local authorities.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reported Thursday that Stromberg was convicted in 2006 on charges of theft, battery against a household member, resisting arrest and assaulting a law enforcement officer.

[Associated Press]

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