PD: East Boston man 'playing with chemicals' arrested after explosion

BOSTON — A 28-year-old Boston man has been charged in connection with an explosion at his East Boston apartment over the weekend.

Just before 1 a.m. Sunday, Boston Police were called to 88 Webster Street in Eastie for a reported building fire and explosion.

Officers found a residential building with major internal and structural damage. The blast was so powerful it blew out several windows on the second floor. Police say the man who lived on the second floor, 28-year-old Tomas Mikula, told them the explosion happened in his apartment. He was taken to the hospital for second-degree burns.

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Members of the BPD Bomb Squad went into Mikula's home and saw evidence of materials commonly associated with making an explosive device.

A search warrant was executed and officers seized materials used to make a homemade bomb, including PVC tubing and chemical compounds.

Police also found two handguns, a rifle and over 100 rounds of ammunition.

Mikula is charged with unlawful possession of explosives, unlawful possession of an incendiary device, willful ignition/discharge of a destructive or incendiary device, unlawful possession of a handgun, unlawful possession of a rifle, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawful possession of a high capacity firearm.

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans updated the public on the explosion Sunday afternoon where he said police did not believe there was any connection to terrorism.

"At this time, Boston Police do not believe there is any nexus to terrorism with this subject. We don’t think there’s any sinister plot. Probably playing an experiment with powder and chemicals and we believe from that combustion - it blew up in his face," said Evans.

Mikula is expected to be arraigned in the hospital Monday afternoon.

Cox Media Group