2 Men Suspected of Throwing Acid Bombs From Balcony
Police evacuated a section of a park here Monday because two men were throwing homemade acid bombs from their third-story balcony, police said.
A witness at Ellis Lake Park called police after seeing a two-liter bottle fall from the balcony and explode on the ground in a caustic mess of singed plastic and grass, said Concord Police Lt. Susan Jones.
The suspects, 22-year-old Stephen Braddy and 20-year-old Michael Vierow, reportedly told police they had been filling soft drink bottles with muriatic acid, a form of hydrochloric acid used in swimming pools. Together with another ingredient, “It makes a chemical reaction that explodes, and they were lobbing them off the balcony and watching them explode,” Jones said.
Braddy and Vierow were arrested on suspicion of several crimes, including possessing chemicals with the intent to destroy property. Bail was set at $2 million.
One bystander was taken to a hospital for treatment after he complained of burning in his eyes and nose.
Patches of grass were burned, and Jones said county workers had cleaned up the area.
Concord is about 30 miles east of San Francisco.
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