LOS ANGELES, Oct 16 (Reuters) – A 28-year-old airport
employee accused of setting off two dry ice bombs at Los Angeles
International Airport apparently meant them as a prank, but
would still face prosecution, police said on Wednesday.
Dicarlo Bennett, a baggage handler for Servisair, was
arrested at his Los Angeles-area home on Tuesday evening for
possessing a destructive device near an aircraft.
He was being held on $1 million bail with an initial court
appearance scheduled for Thursday.
One of the bombs detonated on Sunday evening in an employee
restroom and the second exploded on Monday outside the Tom
Bradley International Terminal, causing some flight disruptions.
An unexploded device was found later that night.
Authorities have said there were no connections to terrorism
in the case and during a press conference on Wednesday police
officials said Bennett intended the ice bombs as a prank.
“We take this particular incident, which some people might
consider a prank – kids have been building dry ice bombs for
years – but it’s not a prank and it’s going to be dealt with
very seriously,” Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon
told reporters.
A dry ice bomb is typically made by putting the dry ice into
a bottle or other container and sealing it tightly, which allows
pressure to build until it explodes.
Bennett allegedly obtained the dry ice from his job at the
airport, prompting officials there to announce that they would
change policies regarding handling of the materials.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
