Cuthbert Blvd. Soda Bottle Bomber Arrested Monday

Haddon Township police yesterday arrested a man who allegedly constructed and detonated a soda-bottle bomb at his Cuthbert Boulevard home.

Troy Fearn, 21, of Collingswood**, was arrested Monday on charges of possession of a destructive device, a crime of the third degree under New Jersey law.

Fearn’s bail was set at $5,000, and he was remanded to the Camden County correctional facility.

“This was done as an experiment or a prank or something,” said Capt. George Tagmire of the Haddon Township police. “I don’t think he had intentions of harming anyone or planting anything.”

was first on the scene, answering reports of “multiple bangs.” Haddon Township Fire Chief John Medes estimated that perhaps four or five such incidents occur within the community annually.

The resident who placed the call was clearly shaken, and asked to not be identified; however, that resident did describe Monday’s incident as the latest in a series of ongoing concerns with Fearn in the neighborhood.

Authorities said such bombs are constructed by combining chemicals within a soda bottle or water bottle that build up enough pressure to explode.

“These things that they make, they’re probably not going to cause a lot of damage, but they can burn you or injure you because the contents,” Tagmire said.

**CORRECTION: An initial report identified Fearn as hailing from Haddon Township; he is a Collingswood resident.