Two cousins engaged in a heated argument were arrested on Wednesday afternoon outside a Manhattan police station after they were found with an explosive device and a machete, according to authorities. The incident occurred when the duo stopped in front of the 25th Precinct in East Harlem, where the driver informed nearby officers that he had been attacked by his cousin who was wielding a machete inside the vehicle.
Police initially arrested the passenger-seated cousin based on the initial complaint but were alerted to the possible presence of an explosive device when the driver mentioned it during further interrogation. This led to the evacuation of the precinct and a large response from the NYPD’s Bomb Squad and Emergency Services Unit. The unknown device was subsequently located, examined, and secured by authorities.
Mark Torre, Commanding Officer of the Bomb Squad, described the device as a “potentially viable improvised explosive device.” He added that investigators were still testing the device to determine whether it could function as designed or potentially explode, or if it was merely designed to resemble a bomb without any actual functionality.
Both cousins have extensive criminal histories, with each of them having between 10-20 prior arrests. Deputy Chief Jason Huerta of the NYPD’s Counter Terrorism Division stated that the owner of the device was believed to be suffering from emotional issues and exhibiting paranoid behavior without any specific destination in mind. At least one of the cousins was taken into police custody, but no official charges have been announced at this time.
