Exploding bottles land teens in hot water

IRVINE — Reports of exploding water bottles rocked the Irvine Spectrum shopping center Monday night, resulting in the arrests of two teenage suspects by Irvine police.

According to an Irvine Police Department press release, Kyle McCann and Jason Mathewes, both 18 and residents of Mission Viejo, were taken into custody at their residences following the incident.

Just before 10 p.m. July 19, police responded to a call from Irvine Spectrum security officers who had observed the teens detonating three water bottles in the outside area of the center. The security guards pursued the suspects in an attempt to make contact but the teens fled to a vehicle and drove off. However, the license plate number of the fleeing vehicle was obtained and given to police.

Armed with the license plate number, the investigation that followed led police to Mission Viejo where both suspects were taken into custody at their homes.

Police believe the teens filled the bottles with a mixture of household chemicals resulting in a chemical reaction that forced the capped bottles to expand and explode. While no one was injured, such items are considered destructive devices, said the report.

Members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Hazardous Devices Section also responded to the scene, both as a precaution and to assist with the collection of evidence.

The two suspects are being held in Orange County Jail with bail set at $1 million. Both are expected to be arraigned on Wednesday via video-feed from the jail.