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• Apr 30, 2008 2:23 pm US/Eastern
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  Baltimore Co. Light & Boom Mystery Solved

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Baltimore Co. Light & Boom Mystery Solved

PIKESVILLE, Md. (WJZ) ―

Mystery solved.  Police say they've made an arrest in the case of the loud bang and bright flash of light disturbing a neighborhood in Pikesville. 

Derek Valcourt explains he never thought he'd be reporting that the mystery is solved just hours after it first aired on Eyewitness News.

Police say the cause of the disturbance was a frustrated neighbor.  But even more surprising is what police found inside his home.

The man behind this mystery is now behind bars.  Police blame 59-year-old Fred Mackler for the flashes of bright light and loud bangs that bothered neighbors in Pikesville for years.

"The noise is deafening and wakes us up out of a very deep sleep," said a neighbor.

They called police, who set up cameras to catch it.  Police studied the shadows in these images and changed their camera angles accordingly.

"So when we get it again and we will get it again, we should be able to narrow down where it's starting," said Officer Posluszny.

And cameras did catch it again this weekend.  This time, the tape had evidence.

"After actually evaluating this videotape, the bomb unit technician was almost able to pinpoint the exact condominium where this was actually coming from," said Cpl Mike Hill with Baltimore County Police.

That's how police met Mackler, who apparently confessed to creating the disturbance.  Inside his home, investigators found quantities of drugs, guns and fireworks.  Police say he had been having problems with neighbors in the building.

"He would get up in the middle of the morning, around 2 a.m., fire one of these pyrotechnic devices and be done," Hill said.

He was charged with disturbing the peace, reckless endangerment, two counts of possessing fireworks without a permit, possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, paraphernalia possession, concealing a dangerous weapon, another firearm charge and two further narcotics possession charges.

Stay with WJZ.COM for more on this story.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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