Suspect Charged After East Boston House Explosion
BOSTON (CBS) -- Police have charged an East Boston resident after they say he caused an explosion while tinkering with bomb-making materials.
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said the call for a house explosion on Webster Street came in at 12:40 a.m. Sunday.
The firefighters and police officers who first arrived found 28-year-old Tomas Mikula with burns on the second floor. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with second degree burns.
When police searched the apartment, they found materials to make a homemade explosive device, including PVC tubing and chemicals. Rifles were also found in the house.
The explosion created a hole in the floor, blew out some walls, and caused debris to go flying across the street, said Evans. The first and second floors were evacuated as a result.
"The guy that lives upstairs said the floor went up in the air. He said the whole thing rose and went back down," said neighbor Jim Parziale.
Mikula faces a variety of charges, including unlawful possession of explosives, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of an incendiary device.
Evans said the incident was not connected to terrorism in any way.
Police say the suspect was tinkering with explosives at the time of the blast.