Overview
- Police say the incident began when a man later identified as Shane Cautillo boarded a commuter rail train and, on June 27, made loud statements about building bombs and said he was inspired by the Jan. 6 attack.
- Officers found a large disconnected lithium battery, an electric towel warmer with wires and an electric scooter with an attached bag and a hazardous-device technician X-rayed a container that showed a possible power source, fusing, explosive charge and switch.
- The technician neutralized the suspected device in the towel warmer but a second X-ray of the scooter bag revealed commercial fireworks and electrical components that ignited during render-safe actions, producing an explosion that caused no injuries.
- The Suffolk County district attorney charged 29-year-old Shane Cautillo with possession of hoax incendiary device(s), unlawful possession of fireworks and related offenses; he was arraigned, held on $10,000 bail, ordered to avoid MBTA transit, taken to a hospital for evaluation and is due back in court on July 28.
- Officials credited alert commuters, an explosive-detection K-9 and specialized hazardous-device teams for securing the scene and pointed to the presence of lithium batteries and improvised assemblies as the kind of components authorities worry can be used in battery-powered incendiary devices.