Yonkers, N.Y., teen accused of blowing up porta-potty with homemade explosive

A 14-year-old boy from New York is accused of building homemade explosive devices and blowing up a porta-potty in a local park.

Yonkers police said Friday they took the teenager into custody after the bomb squad was called to investigate reports of fireworks and a loud boom in the area around Bregano Park on Monday night. 

Officers said they canvassed the park and found no signs of fireworks. 

The Westchester County Police Hazardous Devices Unit and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force joined the case after officers found a heavily damaged portable toilet in Bregano Park on Tuesday morning and determined it was related to the reports from the night before, police said. 

Investigators said they were able to determine that a local teen was building homemade explosive devices like the one used in the April 6 incident.

The boy was arrested without incident at his home and police said he admitted to building the device in the April 6 incident as well as causing several other explosions in the Yonkers area over the past several weeks.

Authorities said "materials used to manufacture explosives" were found inside the home. 

"Improvised explosive devices pose a significant danger to the public, regardless of who constructs them or their intent," Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said in a statement. "Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our Intelligence Unit and our federal and county partners, this situation was quickly identified and safely resolved. We urge parents and guardians to remain vigilant and aware of potentially dangerous behavior, and to report concerns before they escalate into something far more serious."

The teen was booked by the Yonkers Police Department Youth Division and charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment, police said.