Bomb suspect A Kailua man, arrested Monday for two bombings including an incident at a Kailua church, voluntarily turned in a large cache of movie fireworks and explosive devices to police yesterday.
surrenders stockpile
of fireworks
The Kailua man willingly
directs police to a stash
in his homeBy Leila Fujimori
Star-BulletinPolice said the 33-year-old man informed an investigator of the explosives stored at his home on Halela Street. Police said they confiscated 37 electronically-fused movie pyrotechnics and three electronically-fused lift charges.
The 37 pyrotechnics, which police say resemble bombs with fuses, were returned to their rightful owner, who apparently was unaware they were missing. The lift charges, however, were retained as evidence in a related case.
Police arrested the 33-year-old at 4:30 p.m. yesterday for possession of prohibited explosives, but released him pending further investigation.
The same man was arrested Monday in connection with a March 19 Chinatown parking structure explosion and a March 26 blast at the Church of Christ in Kailua, which destroyed a wooden bench, shattered two glass louvers and dented a roof gutter.
That explosion was a few blocks away from the suspect's home. Police said they arrested the man after witnesses identified him.
No charges have been filed.
Last month, police said they believed the two bombings and a third bombing at the Koolau Golf Course that destroyed a mailbox on March 12 may be related.
In each of last month's cases, the explosives were commercially produced military grenade simulators and the explosions occurred on Mondays or early Tuesday, and no one was injured, police said. Police have not tied the man in custody to the March 12 explosion.
Police are also investigating two apparently unrelated bombings in Leeward Oahu that took place after the Kailua man was arrested at 10 p.m. Monday. One bomb went off at a public restroom in Kapolei at 12:27 a.m. Tuesday and another at the Ewa Beach Public and School Library a few hours later at 5:53 a.m. No injuries and minimal damage resulted from the explosions.