Ex-worker's boyfriend held in explosive pranks

PALM HARBOR -- A 28-year-old Palm Harbor man was charged Thursday morning with setting off powerful fireworks that damaged a home and truck of his girlfriend's former boss.

J.A. Reighard was arrested at his home, 1205 Omaha Circle, and charged with two counts of discharging a destructive device, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Reighard told deputies he detonated two M-80 firecrackers at the home of Jimi Krier, 45, 2685 Biggar Court, and at least one more on Krier's truck, Sheriff's Office spokesman Cal Dennie said.

Neighbors reported hearing an explosion and seeing a man fitting Reighard's description leaving Krier's home just after 2 a.m. Thursday.

At 2:42 a.m., Krier called the Sheriff's Office and reported hearing an explosion in the vicinity of his 1997 Ford pickup truck, which was parked at the 7-Eleven Store, 100 Alt. U.S. 19 N.

No one was in the home at the time of the explosion, which damaged a rear window and screen.

"My girlfriend had just left the house with my dog," said Krier, 45, who works as a clerk at the 7-Eleven. "Had my dog been home, he would have been deaf or dead. The explosion was really loud and woke up all the neighbors."

Reighard told deputies he was angry at Krier for firing his girlfriend, Megan Poppell, 22, from the 7-Eleven, Dennie said. Poppell was fired recently for selling alcohol to minors, Krier said Thursday.

According to the Sheriff's Office, after the firecrackers were detonated at Krier's home, Reighard then drove to the 7-Eleven, parked his 1986 Cadillac behind the store and set off at least one firecracker near the headlight of the pickup truck, damaging the right front headlight, bumper and hood of the truck. Krier did not know how much the damage would cost to repair.

Reighard was being held at the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday with bail set at $10,000.

-- Julie Church can be reached at (727) 445-4229 or church@sptimes.com.

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