Two high school students have been arrested on suspicion of setting off an explosion with dry ice on their San Diego campus just days after another incident in San Ysidro. The teens are in serious trouble, and school officials warn others to think twice about pulling pranks.
School district police arrested the two 14-year-old boys Wednesday for investigation of setting off a destructive device at University City High School.
“They are both being charged with a felon for using a destructive device,” Fire spokesman Maurice Luque said.
The students brought the dry ice to school for a project and then decided to stuff some into a plastic bottle, according to Luque. They set it on a patio where students eat lunch until pressure made the bottle explode.
No one was hurt but the campus was locked down while firefighters disposed of the dry ice and checked for other bottles.
On Friday, a San Ysidro High school senior was arrested after allegedly exploding bottle bombs on his campus.
While these incidents may be intended as pranks, it's a felony to build a bomb even if there are no explosives in it.
“Juveniles face up to perhaps a year on probation for something like this but once an adult they face up to five years in prison,” Luque said.
The prankster also gets to foot the bill.
“In the San Ysidro case we are compiling all the expense -- the police fire bomb squad, county hazmat people, that’s going to be a bill that is going to be presented to the parents of this boy,” Luque said.
The boys arrested in the University City High School prank were released to their parents but will have to appear in court.
