Gold Beach Police Chief Dixon Andrews and Curry Public Library Director Rochelle Carr inspect book return chute where exploding chemicals were found. The Pilot/Valliant Corley

GOLD BEACH – A 50-year-old Gold Beach man was arrested late Tuesday on multiple charges for placing a dangerous explosive chemical in the Curry Public Library’s book return chute which burned a man who was returning videos.

Patrick Fitzstephens was charged with first-degree arson, manufacturing an explosive device, recklessly endangering and other charges after Gold Beach police, assisted by state agencies and the FBI, worked on evidence left at the scene. 

Police Chief Dixon Andrews said police worked into the night on Monday and identified a suspect.

 “We found additional evidence to call in technicians. They came over today, along with an FBI agent,” Andrews said.

A camera inside the library pointed out the front doors toward the chute provided some of the evidence.

“We obtained search warrants for two locations in Gold Beach, for a person and a vehicle,” Andrews said.

“The evidence related manufacturing a destructive device,” he said.

Fitzstephens was taken to the Curry County Jail.

“Evidence recovered at the scene tied him to the incident,” Andrews said. 

Andrews said that when the man returning the videos pulled the handle to the book return chute down, “it went off like fireworks.”

The victim’s burn was minor, and there was little damage to the library property.

“But this is arson in the first degree because of the explosive,” Andrews said. “It could have caused some serious injury.”

Andrews said police were called about 1 p.m. Monday. They arrived quickly with the fire department shortly afterward.

“He pulled the handle to put his videos in and heard a pop, pop, pop. He grabbed his videos and took them into the library,” the chief said.

Andrews began calling explosive experts and was eventually directed to the state police.

“We believe people used red phosphorus mixed with a chemical, mixed it into a paste and applied it,” he said. “Once the paste dries, it becomes an explosive.”

He said the resulting substance can be quite dangerous.

“These devices, years ago, were used in meth labs as a booby trap. They put it on doors and when police came down, it would explode,” Andrews said.

He said the substance at the size of a golf ball could have caused some serious injury.

“Someone had to be careful putting it on or it could have blown a finger off,” Andrews said.

Officers took brushes, pulled them along the chute opening and heard several small pops. Then an officer touched a site near one side and there was a loud bang.

“We got a hose and washed it out. Just water hitting the substance went ‘pop pop pop,’ ” Andrews said.