Teenage Pipe Bomb Suspect Says He Meant No Harm

Jarrett Brown left the Wake County jail Wednesday, but he is not quite a free man. A sheriff's deputy drove him to his parents' house in Fuquay-Varina, where he is under house arrest.

"It's great to be home finally, with my family and the people I care about," Jarrett said.

"It's been so overwhelming. I don't know that it's completely soaked in yet. We're obviously pretty doggone happy he's here and not in jail anymore," said Greg Brown, Jarrett's father.

Three weeks ago, police arrested the 17-year-old after he left the scene of an accident. He said he was worried how it would affect his parents' car insurance.

"One major thing I learned the most is when you get into a car accident, you don't drive off. It's the one thing I regret the most," Jarrett said.

Investigators found 24 pipe bombs in Jarrett's car and bedroom. They charged him with having weapons of mass destruction.

"I started researching and researching, and I eventually started experimenting," he said.

Brown said he just wanted to see if he could build them, but he said he never intended to hurt anyone. He now wears an electronic house arrest monitor on his wrist. He can leave for court, doctors' appointments, school or work.

"Younger ones, a young man 16-, 17-year-old, generally, are better candidates for electronic monitoring because they're used to being grounded as opposed to someone 35-, 40-years-old, and you tell him he can't go out and it's like you know," said Rich Morrison, of Reliant Monitoring.

Brown now has a new outlook and a new look. He has gotten rid of the long, orange locks he wore when he was arrested.

"I knew that people were characterizing me by my looks. I knew I had to change that even for the time being, just so people could see my face and see who I am," he said.

Brown hopes more people will get to know who he is over the coming weeks, especially school officials. He would like to return to Apex High School for his senior year, something he and his parents have yet to discuss with the principal.

Jarrett also must complete a court-ordered mental health evaluation by Friday afternoon.