Father, son charged after homemade explosive detonated near Lehigh County polling site
Father and son charged after explosive detonated near PA church polling site
A father and son are now both in custody after authorities say they threw an explosive device from a moving vehicle near a polling place in Catasauqua during Pennsylvania’s primary election, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.
CATASAUQUA, Pa. - A Lehigh County father and son are facing charges after a homemade explosive device was detonated near an election polling site.
What we know:
Officials say 56-year-old Matthew Pletz and his 24-year-old son, Jack Pletz, both of Catasauqua, are accused of throwing an explosive device from a green Chevrolet pickup truck on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
The device detonated about a half block from the entrance of the Salem United Church of Christ. The church was being used as a polling site for voters in the Pennsylvania primary election.
No injuries were reported, and voting continued at the site throughout the incident.
Troopers discovered the remnants of an explosive device near the intersection of Walnut and 3rd streets.
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan described the homemade explosive as a red tubular cardboard fragment with melted red end caps, consistent with an M-type explosive.
Investigators found video surveillance from a nearby location that showed a Chevy pickup truck driving on 3rd Street and stopping in the intersection to rev its engine. An explosion was heard moments after the truck sped away.
Jack Pletz, 24, surrendered to Pennsylvania State Police and is now in custody and in the process of being arraigned.
Investigators later located the vehicle near the suspects’ home in the 200 block of Pine Street, a short distance from the scene. Matthew Pletz was allegedly in the passenger's seat of the truck during the explosion with Jack driving.
A search warrant was executed on the vehicle, where investigators reported finding 17 homemade explosive devices along with additional materials consistent with improvised explosive devices, according to officials.
Matthew Pletz was arrested following the incident and remains in the Lehigh County Jail on $50,000 bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 26.
Jack Pletz had initially been wanted on an arrest warrant. However, authorities confirmed that a few hours after a news conference, he surrendered to Pennsylvania State Police and is now in custody and in the process of being arraigned.
Officials said both men face felony charges including conspiracy to commit weapons of mass destruction, unlawful possession or manufacture of explosive materials, and risking a catastrophe, along with related offenses.
District Attorney Holihan said the devices recovered were capable of causing serious bodily harm if detonated near individuals, calling the situation "very concerning."
Investigators from multiple agencies, including Pennsylvania State Police, the ATF, and local bomb squads, continue to assist in the investigation.
What we don't know:
Authorities are unsure what the motive was behind the incident, and refused to speculate if it had anything to do with the election.
"At this point, we don't have any insight into the motivation, so the answer is I don't know and we're not going to speculate on it," Holihan said. "We're not saying it is or is not, what we're saying is that the investigation hasn't revealed any evidence to support that."