Washington Heights Miscreants Exploded Drano Bombs Near School

By Alicia Cruz

The Black Urban Times

Homemade Drano bombs brought fireworks to a Washington Heights neighborhood in June after a group of miscreants placed the plastic bottles filled with Drano and bleach near Public School 178 on Ellwood Street in Washington Heights.

Neighbor Valarie Castillo, 20, told the New York Daily News that she heard the blast near the school beginning Friday night around 11 p.m.

"It sounded like fireworks. I thought it was little kids playing because I heard kids running," said Castillo.

Another resident of the neighborhood, Justine Thomas, 38, told the News that the "pranks" were going too far.

"Usually around the Fourth of July we deal with that," said Thomas, mother of two daughters. "Now when we find out it's something haz-mat has to come and dispose of, that's a little scary."

Police say they believe children are responsible for the explosive prank that did not injure anyone, but left residents terrified. Fire and bomb experts from the New York City Police Department arrived at the school to find 20 exploded bottles laying around the outside of the building after a custodian working inside of the school dialed 911 to report an explosion. He told police he heard one of the bombs burst against a door Sunday morning around 11 a.m. and when he looked outside he "noticed all these bottles and saw a white substance," the Daily News reported.

Police have no suspects in custody, but are investigating the dangerous prank.

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