Homemade device meant to start a fire found at Boardman business

Staff report

BOARDMAN

A homemade device meant to start a fire was found in a trash can inside a township business over the weekend, police say.

Township police responded to Walgreens, 525 E. Midlothian Blvd., on Saturday night after employees found a suspicious device in a restroom trash can.

A manager told police that two female employees found the device wrapped in a paper towel in the trash can, and then took it into an office.

The device was made from two AA batteries taped together, with several copper wires connected to the batteries, according to a police report. The wires extended out and connected to a “perfectly cut” square aluminum Pepsi can, the report said.

After examining the device, police determined that it was not explosive; however, it “did appear to be constructed to cause and start a fire,” they said.

The device is similar to one made on the popular Netflix show “Orange is the New Black,” and construction of such devices has increased since the show depicted it, police said in the report.

Township fire officials concluded that the device failed to start a fire because it was not properly constructed. If properly constructed, the device would have caused fire to catch to the paper towels that were wrapped around it, they said.

Police and fire officials are investigating the case as an aggravated arson.