Fairhaven teen charged with putting explosive in relatives’ driveway

May 13, 2015 2:22 pm

By News Staff

An 18-year-old Fairhaven teen is under arrest after allegedly placing an explosive device in a relative’s driveway, who he lives next door to.

Police say James Dillon is charged with placing an explosive device upon property.

Emergency crews were called to a residence on Jeanette Street at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and found a plastic bottle containing an unknown liquid substance under a wheel barrow in the driveway.

The bomb squad was called in and determined it was in fact dangerous and could inflict property damage and personal injury if it exploded.

It was detonated without injury or property damage.

An investigation led police to Dillon, who confessed to placing the device in the driveway the night before to scare off coyotes.

Dillon cousin, who lives in the house where it all happened, says he didn’t mean to hurt anybody. “He’s young, he still has a lot of growing to do,” Laurel Maciel explained. “It was just done to scare the wild animals.”

Police said Dillon has been arraigned and is out of their custody.