A 13-year-old Carson City boy was arrested by investigators after he allegedly attempted to light a homemade bomb on a school bus earlier this week.
Detective Bob Motemenpour of the Carson City Sheriff's Department said the boy was being held on suspicion of felony possession of explosives and possession of a dangerous weapon.
According to police reports, the boy was riding home from Carson Middle School on a district school bus Monday afternoon when he allegedly pulled out a bottle containing liquid, with a cloth wick.
"He told the other kids it was a Molotov cocktail and some kids didn't believe him, so he told them to sniff it," Motemenpour said. "A couple friends started egging him on to set a fire and he got a lighter from another friend and attempted to set it on fire."
Motemenpour said when other children noticed what was happening they yelled at the boy to stop, which alerted the bus driver.
"The bus driver yelled back to put away whatever it was and he put it away," the detective said.
The driver later learned what it was, he said, and reported it to her boss.
On Wednesday morning when Deputy Bill Rosario went to question the student at school, the boy allegedly ran from the grounds and was apprehended a few blocks away, according to Motemenpour.
After first denying any involvement, the student admitted he had two homemade bombs and told police they could be found off Goni Road in a culvert. Two beer bottles containing flammable liquid and stuffed with cloth were recovered. The wicks were charred, Motemenpour said.
The boy was taken into custody and the friends from the school bus who were allegedly encouraging him to light the wick were disciplined by the school, Motemenpour said.
