MCSO: Woodlands man asked Walmart customer buy explosives for car bomb

Danyal Arafat Danyal Arafat Photo: MCSO Photo: MCSO Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close MCSO: Woodlands man asked Walmart customer buy explosives for car bomb 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

A 36-year-old Woodlands man is accused of making threats to blow up the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Tuesday.

According to the MCSO, Danyal Arafat was fiddling with the engine of his 1970s-model Volkswagen in the Walmart parking lot at 3040 College Park Drive around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday when he asked a passerby to purchase ammunition and explosive components.

The shopper, who refused, then called law enforcement to report that Arafat gave him a bag of money and told him to go inside Walmart and purchase shotgun shells and model-rocket motors. The shopper said Arafat wanted the items so he could finish making a bomb to blow up the Sheriff's Office.

WALMART KILLING: Tomball police arrest suspect after seeking public's help

The shopper also told deputies that Arafat made numerous other remarks about making bombs and mustard gas during their conversation. Deputies deployed a bomb detection dog to thoroughly search Arafat's van for any explosive materials but found none, according to the MCSO.

Sheriff Rand Henderson commended the shopper on calling law enforcement when the shopper saw something wrong.

"While it was proven that Mr. Arafat, fortunately, did not pose an immediate danger to the public or law enforcement, we can never be too careful," Henderson stated in a release.

The MCSO said Arafat is known to local law enforcement due to multiple encounters regarding his diminished mental state.

Arafat was arrested on a felony terroristic threat charge.