FITCHBURG, Mass. (WHDH) — A New Hampshire trio was accused of making explosive Molotov cocktails in the parking lot of a Fitchburg mini mart. A customer said he watched them, start to finish, and then called police.
“Looking very carefully at the video, which is very new evidence to us, that will play a major role in the rest of the case,” said a Fitchburg police officer.
Fitchburg Police said the men made at least two Molotov cocktails, and launched them at a home. Inside that home at the time were a young mother and her two-year-old son. They said the explosion sounded like fireworks.
“It was a very fortunate situation. No one was injured and right now, of course, we’re looking very carefully at the criminal aspect,” said the officer.
At the same time detectives were at the young mother’s home, police said they pulled over the men on the other side of town.
Court paperwork showed the officer “could smell a strong odor of gasoline coming from the bed of the truck.”
The driver appeared nervous, and then told police, “I’m a landscaper, it always smells like that.” But police said a search of the truck turned up three gas cans, several ripped rags, and a lighter.
“Right now we believe we have the motive, we definitely have the opportunity and the ability to carry out this crime,” said the officer.