• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

'MacGyver' bombs set off in Janesville

JANESVILLE — The explosions of two "works" or "MacGyver" plastic bottle bombs in Janesville remain under investigation.

A homemade bomb was placed inside an open vehicle Sunday night at 705 Kellogg Ave., damaging the windshield and seats when it exploded, Deputy Police Chief Danny Davis said.

A second bomb erupted early Monday morning inside a mailbox at 2019 DuPont Drive, he said.

The two homes are near each other, Davis said, and investigators believe the perpetrators might be the same.

The explosions were likely random, he said, and the property owners probably were not targeted.

"There's nothing that we're aware of that links the victims," Davis said.

A nearby neighbor reported hearing a possible explosion and seeing kids running through a backyard in the 700 block of Kellogg, according to police reports.

Police took evidence from a plastic bottle from one of the bombs, according to police reports, and they are checking it for fingerprints.

Homemade bombs often are a mix of household cleaners in a plastic bottle, Davis said. The liquids react and cause an explosion.

In the Janesville incidents, other items were added to the bombs to increase the potential injury or damage, Davis said.

"I do believe that if these were not contained in a car or in a mailbox and were just set out somewhere, there was a significant likelihood of injury," he said.

Police have had reports of similar bombs in previous years, Davis said.

Homemade bombs have no fuses or timers, he said. It is difficult to know if the explosion will occur within seconds or hours.

Anyone who finds a suspicious bottle of liquids should call police, not touch the bottle and stay 200 feet away.

Parents should be aware of cleaning supplies missing or found in unusual places, Davis said.