On Friday, April 26, at approximately 8:45 pm, a resident in the 700 block of Viaduct Avenue East, had an unexpected, and unfortunate encounter with a bottle that exploded on his front lawn.
The 70 year old male suffered chemical burns to his face and arms when he bent down to retrieve a plastic bottle that had been thrown from a vehicle as it passed his residence. Thankfully, it does not appear that the injuries were severe, and the male is expected to make a full recovery from this incident.
A small group of teenagers was walking in the area and may have been the intended target for this device. The bottle was thrown from a pickup truck, described as a blue four door Dodge or Ford, with several occupants. Neither the youths that had been walking in the area, nor the occupants of the truck have been identified.
“The remains of the bottle were located and it was determined that the bottle was a crude explosive device made with readily available ingredients, likely using various online sources as a guide to construction” said Cst. Chris Roberts.
This incident could have resulted in very serious injuries to a member of the public and police are asking for the assistance of the public in identifying the people resonsible for this careless act. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Saanich Police Department at 250-475-4321.
Furthermore, police wish to remind the public of the extreme danger of mixing common household chemicals, which may result in an adverse chemical reaction. Anyone finding any suspicious containers, especially those that appear to contain a blue coloured liquid, are warned to keep clear of the item, and to contact Police.
13-7720
Sgt. Stve Eassie #158