Florida woman accused of making two dozen pipe bombs

Michelle Louise Kolts, of Wimauma, was arrested Friday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. She was charged with 24 counts of making a destructive device with the intent to harm people, according to an arrest report.

Each count is a second-degree felony that is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Kolts remains in jail in lieu of a $180,000 bond, according to jail records.

Kolts' parents called 911 after finding the bombs in her room, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a news conference Friday. In addition to the pipe bombs, investigators found smokeless pistol powder, fused material, 23 knives, two hatchets, nunchucks and two BB pellet-type handguns, WTVT reported. Deputies also found dozens of books and DVDs about murder, mass killings, bomb-making and domestic terrorism, the television station reported.

"The amount of highly destructive materials we found in this home were astonishing," Chronister said at the news conference. "What is even more frightening is that each pipe bomb contained nails, metallic pellets or a combination of both and would have taken less than 60 seconds per device to add the powder and fuse material she already possesses to detonate each bomb."

Deputies arrested Kolts shortly after midnight Friday, the Times reported. Chronister said it did not appear Kolts had a specific time frame or target in mind, the newspaper reported.

"Her statements were very generic in the fact that she just intended to hurt people," Chronister said.

Kolts' neighbors were stunned by the news.

"No one expects it to be on their street. You see the news and you see it happen somewhere else— but to have it happen on your street is definitely shocking," Etienne Birriel told WFTS.

“It’s extremely frightening that again, makes you want to know why," Michelle Verga, who works in the neighborhood, told the television station.

“Who knows the amount of harm that could have been done or how many lives could have been lost had these parents not found the courage to call the Sheriff’s Office and seek help,” Chronister said.