Florida woman found with 24 pipe bombs pleads guilty to avoid jail, focus on mental health

A Florida woman who was found with 24 homemade pipe bombs and a hit list pleaded guilty Wednesday to avoid prison, and will instead receive mental health treatment. 

Michelle Kolts pleaded guilty in a Tampa courtroom to reduce charges following her 2019 arrest. She was originally charged with 24 counts of making, possessing and discharging a destructive device.

"Twenty-four months of community control followed by 15 years probation," prosecutor Lindsey Hodges said, Fox Tampa reported. 

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Authorities found 24 homemade bombs in Kolts' bedroom in the home she shared with her parents in October 2019. The devices were filled with nails, screws, and pellets, along with materials to make more bombs, and books about terrorist bombings. Also found was a hit list. 

Kolts was arrested on charges that could have landed her in prison for 100 years. However, in 2019, she was found unfit to stand trial following years of mental health evaluations and treatment. She was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia. 

Her mental health treatment will include counseling at an in-house facility. There will be no record of a criminal conviction as well. 

"She's not going to suffer the stigma of a conviction on any of those counts as long as she stays crime free and abides by the terms of her probation," Kolts' attorney, Barry Taracks, said. 

Delaware man attempts to carjack off-duty law enforcement officer in unmarked vehicle: police

A Newark, Delaware, man was arrested Tuesday night after allegedly trying to carjack an off-duty police officer in an unmarked police vehicle, according to police.

The Newark Police Department said officers responded to East Main Street at about 8:40 p.m. Tuesday, after a report of a carjacking.

The victim told police that while he was in his vehicle, a man walked up, opened the car door and told him to get out while trying to physically remove him from inside.

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After a brief scuffle, the victim was able to remove the suspect and lock the car doors.

Minutes later, police said, an off-duty Newark police officer who was driving in an unmarked police vehicle was stopped on East Main Street, when he was approached by a man, later identified as Mark Tannen, 22, of Newark.

Tannen allegedly opened the police vehicle door and told the off-duty police officer to get out of the vehicle.

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The officer identified himself to Tannen, who fled on foot.

Police said the officer chased after Tannen on foot, and with the assistance of other officers, Tannen was apprehended without incident.

The victim of the first carjacking attempt positively identified Tannen as the suspect, police said.

Neither victim was injured in the incidents, police said, and a weapon was not used.

Tannen was taken to police headquarters and charged with two counts of second-degree attempted robbery.

He then appeared before a Justice of the Peace on video and ordered to be held on $5,000 bail, before being taken to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, Delaware.