Police found a cache of chemicals used to make explosives at a Long Island family home.
Nassau County Police were forced to call in the bomb squad and hazmat teams when the chemicals were found. Police arrested a father and son for their involvement.
As part of the investigation, detectives went to the family home, where they discovered chemicals which had been combined to create explosive material in a detached shed covered by a clear tarpaulin. The chemicals included: acids, oxidizers, fuels; and multiple highly unstable chemicals, including nitroglycerin, aluminum powder, aluminum sulfide, and hydrogen sulfide.
Officers evacuated the home and the neighboring houses. The Nassau County Fire Marshal, Arson Bomb Squad, Emergency Service Unit, and Hazardous Material Response Teams were all dispatched to the house. Hazmat crews safely destroyed the chemicals on site, as they were too dangerous to be moved.
Detectives then discovered that the father, 48 year-old Francisco Sanles, had gone to Home Depot, Lowe's, and other hardware stores on several occasions to buy the chemicals. Both individuals claimed they were using the chemicals to build rockets. While Sanles bought the chemicals, he did not supervise his son while the 15-year-old boy handled the chemicals.
Both the father and the son were taken into custody.
The father is charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 1st Degree, two counts of Criminal Facilitation 4th Degree, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Reckless Endangerment. He was arraigned on Thursday.
The son is charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 1st Degree, Criminal Mischief 4th Degree, Aggravated Harassment 1st Degree, and Making Graffiti. He is set to be arraigned at Nassau County Family Court at an unspecified date.
"Our investigation identified the person responsible and this is now a criminal matter with an active police investigation. We are cooperating fully with our partners in law enforcement and remain in constant contact with them as their investigation continues. This student will also face serious consequences pursuant to the District's Code of Conduct," the email said. "Antisemitism and hate speech have no place in our communities or in our schools. Syosset has long been proud of being a welcoming, empathetic, and inclusive community and those values remain firm. We protect those values and this community by confronting and holding accountable those who traffic in any form of hate."