Springboro teen sentenced  in bomb scare

Second Fenwick student sentenced in Springboro bomb scare

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By Lawrence Budd, Staff Writer 3:32 AM Thursday, December 3, 2009

LEBANON — A 17-year-old Springboro boy will serve community service and pay a fine in connection with an August incident that prompted an evacuation of Springboro city offices after an alleged pipe bomb was found.

The boy was ordered on Wednesday, Dec. 2, to serve 24 hours of community service, pay $250 in fines and costs; and remain on house arrest.

Warren County Juvenile Judge Michael Powell also ordered the boy’s driver’s license suspended for two months, while crediting him for six days spent in juvenile detention and suspending another 30 days.

On Aug. 5, temporary city offices, adjoining business offices and the boy’s home were evacuated after Springboro police found what they believed to be a pipe bomb in the boy’s backpack during a search at the police department.

The case began earlier that night, when police noticed a decorative concrete ball broken from landscaping in a Settlers Walk neighborhood and smoke bombs set off nearby and in adjoining woods.

No one was injured. Analysis of the detonated device failed to find evidence of explosives.

The boy told Powell he didn’t mean to cause drivers to strike the cement ornaments in the road or hurt anyone.

“It was a stupid mistake,” he said during the sentencing.

Last month, the boy admitted to juvenile charges of attempted possession of an alleged pipe bomb, obstructing official business, criminal mischief and placing injurious materials in the road.

In addition to house arrest and constant parental supervision, the boy, a student at Fenwick High School, was suspended from playing 10 soccer games, lawyer Ron Ruppert said.

Ruppert said the boy had learned from the incident, particularly from spending six days in the county detention center.

“That was quite a shock,” Ruppert said.

Powell told the boy he was lucky no one was hurt.

“You wouldn’t be going home today. You probably wouldn’t be going home for a long time,” Powell said.

A 17-year-old teammate is to be sentenced next week for his part in the incident.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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