Green River Man Arrested For Pickup Explosion

A 23 year old Green River man has been arrested for blowing up his cousin's pickup on August 22.

Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department spokesman Dick Blust says Kyle Henderson is accused of blowing out the rear tail light assembly of a Dodge Dakota pickup belonging to his cousin, Justin Palmer, who lives just north of Rock Springs. Blust says a 'mortar shell" (a commercial firework)  had been placed in the bed fender of the vehicle and had damaged the tail light assembly.  A seperate unexploded mortar was found in the vehicle's tailpipe

When he reported the incident to authorities, Palmer told investigators that he was involved in a dispute with Henderson. Blust says that Henderson freely admitted to a Deputy Sheriff that he had planted the explosives in Palmer's pickup because he was angry over comments Palmer had made to him.

Henderson was arrested and faces charges that could carry a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail, a $5000 fine or both. At last report he remained in custody in the Sweetwater County Detention Center on $15,000 bond, awaiting an August 29 preliminary hearing.