Alabama woman convicted in bombing of ex-boyfriend’s truck

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama woman was convicted on charges of conspiring with a friend to bomb the pickup truck of her estranged boyfriend, who survived the blast.

Court records show a federal judge in Montgomery convicted Ashley Nicole Haydt, 36, of Dothan on explosives and conspiracy charges on Thursday. WTVY-TV reports her co-defendant, Sylvio Joseph King, pleaded guilty previously and testified against Haydt during the four-day trial.

Authorities allege King was working with Haydt when he purchased gunpowder, a pipe and other materials to make a remote control bomb. The two allegedly came up with the plan during a legal dispute between Haydt and a former boyfriend with whom she has a child.

A bomb planted in the work truck of Haydt’s former boyfriend went off in October 2017, injuring the man. Police say that King sent a message to Haydt afterwards saying he had “taken care of the problem.”

Haydt went to an attorney after the explosion and implicated King but denied her own involvement. A federal grand jury indicted her following an investigation, and King pleaded guilty last year.

The victim survived, and state court records show that Haydt and the man are still involved in a child custody case that was delayed because of federal court proceedings. A judge hasn’t yet set a sentencing date for Haydt.