Man convicted of making his own napalm deemed “high threat to the public”

Lang
8/9/19

A local man recently convicted on charges that he made his own napalm has been deemed “a high threat to the public and himself”.

That’s according to an assessment from his probation officer. According to online records, 30-year-old Kyle Widstrom has had suicidal ideations with a plan to buy a gun and kill himself, or to die via “suicide by cop”.  His probation officer says Widstrom has been using meth and failing to follow through with his outpatient treatment at the VA Hospital. He was given a recommendation on Wednesday to return to the VA, but he allegedly refused. An arrest warrant was issued because Widstrom was deemed to be “a high threat to the public and himself”.

Widstrom was booked into the Johnson County Jail just before 1:30 Friday morning.

Widstrom was arrested at the Kansas Avenue Kum & Go in North Liberty last January after stripping naked in the men’s room. A search of his vehicle turned up several jars of liquid, one of which had a wick. Widstrom told investigators the jar with the wick was homemade napalm, which was categorized as a Molotov cocktail. He was charged with Possession of an Explosive Device, which was pleaded down to a Simulated Explosive Violation in a deal with prosecutors in which he was given a suspended sentence and probation.