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APD, federal law enforcement arrest man in connection with St. David's hospital explosion

A bright yellow and blue ambulance pulls out of the hospital entrance at night.
Gabriel C. Pérez
/
KUT
An Austin-Travis County EMS ambulance pulls out of St. David's in November 2020.

Local and federal law enforcement arrested a man early Thursday morning in connection with an explosion at St. David's Medical Center parking garage Wednesday night.

The Austin Police Department said 38-year-old Raymond Luke Garner was arrested by APD, along with the FBI and the ATF, and charged with possessing explosive components, just before 5 a.m. Thursday.

Authorities also evacuated a Cedar Park apartment complex were Garner lives, according to public records, Thursday afternoon. Cedar Park Police said that "residents have been temporarily evacuated out of an abundance of caution as the bomb squad examines an object at the scene."

The Wednesday evening explosion temporarily locked down St. David's emergency room and its parking garages — located along Interstate 35 just north of the UT Austin campus — remained closed until Thursday morning. The FBI, ATF and APD said the scene was cleared Thursday morning, but that they were still investigating the explosion.

Garner’s charge is a third-degree felony, which is punishable by anywhere from two to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Andrew Weber is a general assignment reporter for KUT, focusing on criminal justice, policing, courts and homelessness in Austin and Travis County. Got a tip? You can email him at aweber@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @England_Weber.