La Porte residents facing explosive problem
LA PORTE, TX
A plastic bottle containing an unknown liquid was found in a field in La Porte, and it exploded because of a chemical reaction. The city's police have identified two juveniles who could be charged with felonies. A video from YouTube shows a teenager using a bottle to make a homemade chemical bomb. It's more than just child's play; it could cause serious harm. Since February, local authorities have investigated three incidents involving a series of devices similar to the one seen on the YouTube video. As a grandmother, La Porte resident Lauretta Loupe says the news is alarming. "The three-year-old is really bad about picking stuff up, bottles, cans, and yeah that would worry me a lot if there were chemicals in them," Loupe said. Late last month, investigators responding to a fire discovered a bottle with an unknown liquid in a grassy field near Sylvan Beach Park; six bottles containing an unknown substance also were thrown into two front yards. "There was aluminum foil that was part of these bottles, that was included with them, which indicates there is some type of acid inside," La Porte Police Department Det. John Kreuger said. What's more, the Internet is crawling with websites that show how these homemade bombs are made. "Young kids need more structure in their lives," La Porte resident Debrah Watkins said. "They need more things to do -- positive things." The warning issued by police is meant to alert residents -- not scare them.
"It doesn't really happen that often, but it's something to be aware of," La Porte resident Austin said. These explosions may not happen immediately. It could even take a few minutes, which is why police are asking residents not to touch the bottles, even if they end up in their front yards.
