According to the source, the device had a "hobby" fuse and was described as "not sophisticated" and "rather crude," though "it certainly could have put a hole in the bed of the pickup truck."
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Paul Chagolla said that, based on preliminary tests, "it is our opinion that it is, in fact, a viable improvised explosive device."
The device is described as being 6 inches long, and 1½ inches in diameter. The plant employee is in custody. "We are questioning him. He is cooperative," Chagolla said. The employee told investigators he hadn't driven the pickup truck to work in some time, leaving open the possibility the device could have been placed in the bed of the truck unbeknown to him.
The employee is a contractor who has worked at the Palo Verde facility for about a year, according to plant spokesman Jim McDonald. The employee works as a procurement engineer responsible for making sure materials that have been purchased for the plant are the correct type for their intended purpose.