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Le Roy police warn of bottle bombs on the west side of the village

By Howard B. Owens

Le Roy police suspect somebody has been making "bottle bombs" and letting them explode in an area on the west side of the village.

An investigation began after complaints of gunshots or fireworks heard on the west side of the village.

"Bottle bombs," also known as "works bombs," can be exceptionally dangerous and the Le Roy Police Department is looking for information to help determine who is making them.

Officials also warn residents not to approach any sports drink or 2-liter pop bottles found laying on the ground.

Touching a fully charged bomb can cause it to detonate.

Bottle bombs are made of Drano and tinfoil mixed together in a plastic bottle that is then sealed. Pressure builds up inside the bottle until it explodes. The chemicals inside become a boiling liquid that can cause severe burns and other serious physical injuries.

The bombs are not hard to make and numerous videos of homemade bombs are posted on YouTube.

If a suspected bottle bomb is found, you should move away from it and call 9-1-1 immediately.

The Le Roy Police Department advises that anyone found making these explosives may face criminal charges.

To report information about the possible manufacture of bottle bombs, call 343-5000.

C. M. Barons

Summer is waning, and the school-year about to commence. Idle hands and boredom are at play- not maliciousness. Bottle-bombs may well be dangerous, but we are not witnessing junior terrorists or assassins. Certainly the perpetrators should to be aware of the hazardous "toys" they are playing with. The public needs to put this in perspective and not jump to extremes. These same "bombs" used to be made with Pepsi and Fizzie tablets. LeRoy is not experiencing a crime wave; kids skinny-dipping in the creek and exploding pop bottles made the news. The police scanner fails to expose good news to offset the bad. ...Visit a few garage sales, vegetable stands, birthday parties, park concerts and dog walks- a balanced perception of our communities will emerge.

Aug 26, 2011, 11:46am Permalink
Billie Owens

Yes, scanner traffic is not about birthday parties and veggie stands. It can still be interesting to some people, certainly not everyone, and we consistently post positive stories on a regular basis about the goings on in Genesee County.

Regarding the story about making bottle bombs, I agree that idle hands and boredom may play a role in their creation, but the potential they have of causing serious injury is concerning to the Le Roy Police Department, which wants the public to be aware of the situation. So putting that out there is not about sensationalism.

Personally, I don't believe this specific bottle bomb concoction is just a product of naughty hooliganism. It's meaner. And if perchance a reader of this site loses an eye or a foot or whatever because of coming into contact with one, it won't be because we didn't warn them. I hope these menaces are caught and punished appropriately.

Aug 26, 2011, 12:25pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

Domestic terrorism. They need to raise the threat level and tap all of the phone activity. Maybe the National Guard should be called in to set up road blocks !

Aug 26, 2011, 1:13pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

Billie, et al- I tried to word my response very carefully: not to be misunderstood, I am not condoning manufacture of bombs, nor am I dissing use of emergency band scanners for news-gathering. I found the comment, "Is Leroy that bad or is it me --- there seems to be alot of trouble in that little town..." an over-the-top assessment of that community. If such conclusions are drawn from recent news headlines, it's safe to say that the picture is incomplete. In fairness to The Batavian, a great deal of electronic ink was devoted to the LeRoy community pool, Oatka Fest, the new coffee shop and bakery...

Aug 26, 2011, 1:49pm Permalink

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