Woman Claims Pipe Bomb In Car Was Ex-Boyfriend's: Report

VALPARAISO, IN — A Valparaiso woman found sleeping in her car claimed the explosive device belonged to her ex-boyfriend and said she was taking it to a friend to "make it safe" on Saturday, the Porter County Sheriff's Office said. Officers responding to a report of a possible crash at around 11:30 a.m. found 32-year-old Katrina Franzen asleep in the driver's seat. There was damage to the vehicle, but it appeared to be old, police said.

While investigating, officers found what they believed to be a pipe bomb in a box on the floor of the vehicle, according to police. The discovery prompted an evacuation of nearby homes, and the Porter County Bomb Squad was called to the scene.

By 1:50 p.m., the bomb squad had rendered the device safe. Police said Franzen told investigators that the bomb had been in her car for the past two weeks.

"After dropping a friend off this morning, she had been driving around trying to clear her head as she had a headache," the sheriff's office said Saturday. Franzen reportedly also told police the bomb belonged to her ex-boyfriend, according to ABC-7.

Police said Franzen was charged with Level 5 felony possession of a destructive device. According to Porter County jail records, Franzen remained in custody as of Monday.

Sheriff David Reynolds thanked the person who reported Franzen's vehicle as suspicious. "I encourage everyone to call your local police when you observe suspicious activity so it can be immediately investigated," he said.

Katrina Franzen/Porter County Sheriff's Office