A house for sale in Massachusetts was wired to explode when someone flipped a light switch, NBC News reported earlier this week. The homeowner, his attorney and an electrical inspector were conducting a pre-sale inspection when they electrician found an IED.
The device was in the form of a plastic jug full of accelerant, according to a report from the Boston Globe. The explosive was placed in a closet off the side of the bedroom, plastered behind a wall. Officials removed several brown paper bags from the house in Milton. The device, which was wired throughout the house, was removed and disarmed by the bomb unit.
The electrician who discovered the device, Francois Charlotin Jr., was cutting into a ceiling while tracing a wire away from a light switch when he found that it led into a plastic jug filled with liquid. Charlotin said that he was grateful he was experienced enough to know what to do, according to a profile at Boston.com.
“I’ve been an electrician for over 20 years so I’ve witnessed a lot of accidents,” he said. “What you do is you develop a skill set that you use to basically keep yourself alive.” Charlotin told Boston.com that as the week has gone on, he’s had time to reflect on the danger of the situation he was in.
Police had been called to the house last week on a vandalism complaint. The house had been occupied by renters, but when they arrived last week, officers found that the house's drains had been plugged with cement.
Both the Boston and Milton police departments are seeking the renters, who appeared to have abandoned the house, as persons of interest in the investigation, NBC News reported.
