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Church-firecrackers suspect waives preliminary hearing

Posted at 5:30 PM, Jan 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-08 17:30:22-05

GRAND HAVEN, Mich.  —  Anthony Lee Wabindato allegedly placed firecrackers inside and outside a Grand Haven church December 31st, prompting an evacuation. Now, his case is heading to circuit court.

On Tuesday afternoon, Wabindato, 32, of White Cloud waived his preliminary hearing in Ottawa County District Court. A court spokeswoman tells FOX 17 Wabindato will be arraigned into Circuit Court later this month. His District Court arraignment was December 31.

Wabindato is charged with two counts of felonious assault, one count of resisting & obstructing a police officer, and one count of Malicious Destruction of Property between $1,000 and $20,000.

He allegedly put firecrackers inside and  outside St. Patrick-St. Anthony Catholic Parish around 7 a.m. on December 30th, which resulted in the 9 a.m. Mass being canceled. Grand Haven Department of Public Safety director Jeff Hawke says officers responded to a report of a disorderly person inside the church.

“Officers found that the man had vandalized the inside of the building, breaking a TV in the process…and also placed M5000 Jumbo firecrackers in multiple locations inside and outside the building.”

An explosives K-9 was summoned after the building was evacuated, and the suspect was taken into custody.