The sheriff says she was stopped right
before igniting that explosive device.
He has no doubt she was there to hurt
people and maybe even worse.
Walmart has just about everything, apparently enough to create a homemade explosive device.
Deputies say 37 year old Amy Stallard of
Tampa was trying to build just that
inside the Fletcher Avenue store.
"She was making, for lack of a better term, like a Molotov cocktail but adding projectiles inside that."
The sheriff says she went aisle by aisle, opening up items to put together. A watchful security guard
contacted the Sheriff's Office and
notified an off-duty FWC officer who
happened to be there. They say she was
combative and detained her until deputies showed up.
"When they confronted her she was lighting a match actually trying to ignite this device that she had created.
That intent was obviously to cause destruction and harm to everyone in that store."
and with her at the time a
nine-year-old child believed to be her
son.
"I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it."
We spoke to Stallard's neighbor and landlord who asked us not to show his face.
He believes she's suffering from a mental illness.
"So she said the house was haunted. I said something ain't right with this girl.
She's losing her mind or something. She uses that smartphone all the time.
I guess there shows her on that
smartphone how to make a bomb."
Meanwhile, the sheriff is praising the security guard and FWC officer,
saying they likely prevented a tragedy.
"We as a community owe this security guard and this off-duty fishing game officer a great debt of gratitude."
And exactly what drove her to do this still unknown at this point.
She faces a number of felony charges
including firebombing, child abuse, and,
Mark, attempted arson.
