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SPRINGBORO — A pipe and fusing were among 24 items police took from a home this week after they found a suspected pipe bomb in a 16-year-old boy’s backpack, a discovery that prompted the evacuation of city offices.
According to an affidavit filed with a search warrant returned in Warren County Common Pleas Court on Friday, Aug. 7, the boy told Springboro police he bought the items at a local hardware store.
According to the affidavit, the boy’s father told police the boy had permission to keep the items in their home to make smoke bombs.
The Dayton Bomb Squad destroyed six jars and a glass container of an “unknown substance,” as well as bags of an “unknown white powder” and red gel seized Wednesday in the search of the residence by police, according to the warrant.
The squad detonated the suspected bomb about noon Wednesday, ending the evacuation of the city offices and a neighboring electronics company.
The Springboro boy remains in county juvenile detention charged with inducing panic, unlawful possession of a dangerous ordnance, obstructing official business and criminal mischief.
A hearing is scheduled for Monday.
His friend, a 16-year-old Clearcreek Twp. boy, remains free pending his arraignment in juvenile court in Lebanon.
He’s charged with criminal damaging, obstructing official business and a curfew violation.
Police said he ran, but was later arrested near where police were investigating cement forms placed in a street in the Settlers Walk development about 3 a.m. Wednesday.
The Springboro boy was caught and taken to the city offices, where the suspected bomb was found in the backpack, according to the affidavit.
Springboro Lt. Jon Wheeler has said there will be no disciplinary review relating to police bringing the device into city offices, saying that police “understand how this happened. We’ll chalk it up to lessons learned.”
Kim Riddell, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said possession of a pipe bomb — without obtaining prior permission from ATF — is a federal offense.
It is unclear whether ATF is involved in the case.
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