Explosive device, arsenal seized from Ridgefield home

Ridgefield police car. Ridgefield police car. Photo: Ridgefield Police Department Photo: Ridgefield Police Department Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Explosive device, arsenal seized from Ridgefield home 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

RIDGEFIELD — The State Police bomb squad removed an explosive device, 16 assault weapons, 76 unregistered high-capacity magazines and six silencers from a home early Thursday.

Mark Albin, 49, has been charged with manufacturing a bomb, after police said they discovered the device in the Tackora Trail home.

The bomb squad was called in to remove and defuse the device, according to a Ridgefield Police report.

On Thursday afternoon, a woman who answered the door of the home and identified herself as Albin’s wife said he is a good guy who cooperated with the police.

“Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and crucifying him,” she said. “The police know him. He’s a good guy. He tried to give the cops everything he had. He’s not some crazy person. He’s not the Unabomber.”

The single-level ranch, located on a narrow street, sits in a quiet neighborhood near Lake Mamanasco.

A black-and-white American flag flew on a flagpole on the property above a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag.

Hours after Albin’s arrest, children were being dropped off in the neighborhood about a mile south of Ridgefield High School.

Officers responded to a disturbance at the house at 12:30 a.m. Thursday, said Ridgefield Police Capt. Shawn Platt.

Police said they initially arrested Albin for disorderly conduct and removed firearms from the home for safekeeping.

“During the removal of those firearms, officers discovered illegal firearms, high-capacity magazines, and an explosive device,” Platt said in a news release.

Albin also was charged with 16 counts of possession of an assault weapon, 76 counts of possession of an unregistered high-capacity ammunition magazine, six counts of possession of a silencer, and one count of disorderly conduct.

“We’re all a little freaked out,” said one neighbor who did not wish to be identified.

Albin was held on $100,000 bond and appeared Thursday in state Superior Court in Danbury.

The charges are being handled separately in court.

He posted $50,000 bond for the firearms charges and is due to return to court April 11. He posted $500 bond for the disorderly conduct charge and is due in court May 7 on that charge.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi said he didn’t know Albin or why he might have had those weapons.

“That’s the big concern,” he said. “Why would anyone need a cache like that? I don’t know.”

He said when he was updated about the incident this morning, he couldn’t help but think of Sandy Hook.

“Any incident like this brings all of those memories back,” Marconi said. “You always worry about that in your community.”

Marconi said Albin should be presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial where all of the facts will be presented.