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Police Find Canisters Of Uranium In New Jersey Man's Home

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A New Jersey man was arrested Friday and charged with endangering the welfare of a child after police found radioactive materials in his home.

At around 5:30 p.m., police went to Joseph Gibeau's Sparta home to investigate a hang-up 911 call.

Once there, police said Gibeau was drunk and fighting with his wife. As officers tried to calm him down, one officer saw three small metallic containers in plain view painted yellow and marked as "Radioactive Material."

The casks were tested and two of the three were determined to be radioactive. One contained Uranium 235, the other contained Americium 241.

Joseph Gibeau Sparta Radioactive Material arrest
Joseph Gibeau, 44, of Sparta (credit: Sparta Police)

Gibeau was taken to Newton Medical Center for treatment for possible alcohol poisoning, police said.

He was treated and released the next morning and then placed under arrest.

Gibeau, who was employed by Picatinny Arsenal as a computer programmer, is currently in the Sussex County Jail on $250,000 bail.

He is charged with two counts of child endangerment and one count of possession of stolen property.

Additional charges are pending.

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