10News.com

Sustain San Diego
Sustain San Diego
10 News Leadership Award
San Diego News
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters
Related To Story

Homemade Bombs Explode On HS Campus; Student Arrested

Explosions Occurred At San Ysidro High School

POSTED: 3:46 pm PDT June 5, 2009
UPDATED: 11:35 pm PDT June 5, 2009

A student set off 12 crude homemade chemical bombs in trash cans at San Ysidro High School Friday afternoon, prompting an hourlong lockdown at the campus but causing no injuries or property damage, authorities said.

The 18-year-old senior who planted the makeshift explosive devices -- plastic bottles containing some type of acid and another unidentified substance -- was under arrest within an hour of the explosions, which occurred about 3:15 p.m. in a patio area, according to San Diego police and fire officials.

10News has confirmed that Senior Honor Student, Elphbert Laforteza, was arrested.

He is expected to face felony charges of detonating explosives and possessing bomb-making materials, authorities said.

Laforteza was booked at the county jail on 5 counts of making a destructive device and 8 counts of use of an explosive device to injure.

Laforteza told investigators he had brought a dozen of the bottle bombs to the Airway Road campus, said Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Six detonated, and authorities found and confiscated six others that either had not been fully assembled or were complete but failed to blow up for some reason.

Although Laforteza told school officials he considered the episode nothing more than a senior prank, authorities noted that such devices are highly dangerous as well as illegal.

"They can kill you," Luque said.

School officials said although Laforteza will receive his diploma next week, he will not be allowed to graduate with the rest of his class.
The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by 10News.com. By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms of Use. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment. Flagging a comment will send it to our editorial staff for review.

Links We Like

Sponsored Content
Check out our picks for the most luxurious and unique homes that were on the market in 2009. More

Find out what a sputtering economy and an increasingly difficult to crack job market means to you. More

The following tips can help your car become a less inviting target and slow down, discourage or actually prevent car theft. More

Believing urban legends about sex could be hurting your sex life. Get the truth behind common sex myths. More

Sponsored Links

BuyWithMe Deal

50% Off Harbor Cruise!
- Hornblower Cruise
- $25 Value
- Limited Offer!
- Learn More!


Health Topics & Information

Many seemingly healthy foods are actually bad for your heart. Learn how to replace the imposters with nutritionally rich foods. More