Dad with "shared custody" teaches 6-year-old son to build bombs (Las Cruces, New Mexico)

Who the hell thought it would be a good idea to give dad ANTHONY STROMBERG "shared custody" of his 6-year-old son? Check out Daddy's record--even before the latest bomb building accusations. He's a CONVICTED FELON with a background in theft, battery (against a "household member") assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest. And he told his son that he was going to kidnap and kill his mother! Does any freaking @$$hat of a father get custodial rights these days? Just as long as he has a pulse?

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/115088/father-taught-son-6-build-bombs-investigators

Father taught son (6) to build bombs: investigators
Sat, 10 Jul 2010

Anthony Stromberg, who allegedly taught his 6-year-old son how to build bombs. Stromberg is now facing a charge of child abuse. He remains jailed in Las Cruces on a $150,000 bond. Photo by AP. The father of a 6-year-old taught the boy how to build homemade bombs out of empty milk jugs, gunpowder and other materials, then took him to the New Mexico desert to blow up the devices, investigators say.

The father's creations - one of which was recovered from his Las Cruces home and disarmed by bomb squad robots - were nothing short of "improvised explosive devices," said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives supervisor Brent Quinn said.

"Some people look at it as just making 'fireworks'," he said. "Obviously, it isn't that simple."

Anthony Stromberg, a 44-year-old convicted felon, allegedly built two types of bombs at his trailer park home - a pipe bomb made from gunpowder and plastic tubing and another made from fuses, black putty and a milk jug.

The boy drew diagrams of the explosives for detectives and explained how they were built.

He told police his father first took him to blow up the devices during last year's Fourth of July holiday.

Stromberg would have his son stand away as they were ignited, and the boy described the resulting blasts as "feeling like a big wind blowing you over."

The Las Cruces Police Department's SWAT team, state police, sheriff's deputies and ATF agents raided Stromberg's home on Thursday morning (local time).

Authorities arrested the father before anyone was hurt - homemade explosives can result in lost fingers or worse, Quinn said.

"Those things detonate at thousands of feet per second, sending tiny shards of metal or plastic traveling in all directions," he said.

Stromberg was charged with child abuse and was jailed on a $US150,000 bond.

The Dona Ana County Detention Centre did not have an attorney listed for him.

Stromberg is also accused of threatening to kill the child's mother. After an argument two weeks ago with the mother, he allegedly told the boy he was going to kidnap and shoot her, according to a criminal complaint.

The boy's parents are separated but share custody.

The boy said he was afraid his father, who owns shotguns, would follow through with the threat. He confided in an adult, and police were alerted.

Quinn said Stromberg will likely also face federal charges for manufacturing explosives.

Stromberg was convicted in 2006 on felony charges of theft, battery against a household member, resisting arrest and assaulting a law enforcement officer.