Disneyland employee arrested in explosion had access to dry ice

A Disneyland employee accused of exploding a so-called dry ice bomb in a Toontown trash could have gotten the dry ice from within the park, according to a company official.

As an outdoor vending “cast member,” as Disney employees are called, Christian Barnes would have had access to dry ice that vendors use to keep park refreshments like ice cream and sodas cold.

Barnes, 22, was arrested by Anaheim police and booked on suspicion of possession of a destructive device. He was being held Wednesday in lieu of bail of $1 million.

The explosion in a trash can Tuesday evening forced the evacuation of Toontown. No one was injured, but the explosion caused some brief chaos in a portion of Disneyland popular with young children. The mixture exploded about 5:30 p.m.

“Barnes is cooperating with investigators and has indicated this is an isolated incident with unanticipated impacts,” Anaheim police Sgt. Bob Dunn said.

Police said Barnes peddled sodas and water on a mobile cart in the park. They did not give a motive for the incident, which did not cause any significant damage.

“You wouldn’t expect situations like that coming to a place like this. That is crazy, that’s wild,” said West Covina resident Jonathan Rosario, who was at the park with a toddler. “It reminds us we all need to do our part to be safe.”

Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said in a statement, “We take matters like this very seriously and are working closely with local authorities.”

Barnes was not immediately available for comment. In his North Long Beach neighborhood Wednesday, one neighbor described Barnes as a “good kid.”

“This is a good family and a good neighborhood,” said the woman, who declined to be identified.

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andrew.blankstein@latimes.com

ruben.vives@latimes.com