Submitted. On Tuesday, May 13 at 9:40 pm a loud noise was reported by residents in the 2000 block of Majestic Crescent. Abbotsford Police and Abbotsford Fire Rescue attended the scene and located the remnants of a plastic two litre pop bottle on the street. Indications were that a chemical reaction was created in the bottle that caused enough pressure to cause the bottle to explode into pieces. There were no injuries as a result of the explosion but the significant noise did cause alarm in the neighbourhood.
On Thursday, May 15 at 5:55 pm a loud noise was heard near a residence in the 2500 block of Minter Street. APD and AFRS again attended the area. An Abbotsford Police Department patrol division officer approached the home to investigate the sound and was briefly overcome by the gases released by a “pop bottle bomb” that had been detonated outside. The officer received treatment for that exposure.
These incidents are troubling as they clearly demonstrate the potential to not only cause nuisance and mischief but also damage to property and persons. The APD and AFRS are investigating. These incidents have occurred in an area of Central Abbotsford that had previously been placed on alert as a result of a series of arsons in mid-April. Unfortunately, residents are again being asked to report suspicious activity and to keep a close eye on their neighbourhoods.
Anyone with information about these incidents should call the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225 or text 222973 (abbypd) or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.