MESA, AZ — A Mesa man has been arrested after he admitted to bombing mailboxes in Gilbert and Mesa.
Mesa police say between March 12 and March 15 four mailboxes were destroyed in Mesa and one in Gilbert using an unknown explosive device.
Officials say they collected evidence from the last incident that led them to believe the explosives were some sort of consumer firework.
Surveillance video captured the suspect's vehicle at three of the scenes in Mesa.
During the investigation, officers used police databases to find a maroon Hyundai Sonata between the years of 2006-2010.
Officials say one vehicle was associated with John Janecek, 40, who was also seen in social media posts making and setting off consumer fireworks.
Officers then obtained a search warrant and found that he was in the area of the first Mesa incident and then at the Gilbert incident, using Janecek's phone records.
On April 15, 2021, Janecek was detained and questioned on the incidents, which he denied. Instead, Janecek says he only had "materials" that he thought he shouldn't have, so he had them destroyed, police say.
During questioning, officers say he continued to make incriminating statements and would stop to correct himself.
Police then obtained another search warrant, this time for his social media content. Officers say they found a message sent by Janecek that said, “You sure have been a lot of mailboxes disappearing.”
Janecek was then formally arrested on May 28, and during the arrest he told officers he apologized to the business owner from the first incident and paid him $30 for destroying the mailbox.
Mesa police say he then confessed to blowing up at least three mailboxes.
Janecek was booked on five counts of first-degree burglary for "entering a nonresidential structure while in possession of explosives," five counts of disorderly conduct and possession of dangerous drugs.
