Man Who Left Pipe Bomb Outside Harlem Police Precinct Arrested: NYPD

HARLEM, NY — Police have arrested the man who triggered a bomb scare outside an East Harlem police precinct on Wednesday. He now faces a variety of criminal charges in connection with the incident.

Chontrell Wrenick, 50, faces a range of charges, including reckless endangerment, assault and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon, an NYPD spokesperson told Patch.

Police reported that a domestic dispute between two cousins concluded with the discovery of a "potentially viable improvised explosive device" inside a car outside the 25th precinct on Wednesday afternoon.

According to an NYPD spokesperson, the device, consisting of a pipe attached to two aerosol cans, was capable of causing fatalities or serious injuries if detonated.

"It was fairly large. It's not small. If it was able to function as designed, what we would say is it was capable of causing death or serious physical injury to anyone in proximity and property damage," said Lt. Mark Torre, Bomb Squad Commanding Officer.

The explosive was found in Wrenick's vehicle at 120 East 119th Street shortly after noon, after police say Wrenick and another man, identified as his cousin, drove up to the 25th Precinct stationhouse.

Wrenick's cousin, whose identity has not been disclosed, told police that he was the victim of a domestic assault and that Wrenick had struck him with a machete following an argument earlier that day while they were driving.

Later, when officers took Wrenick into custody for the assault, his cousin alerted them to the potential presence of a bomb in the car.

Police promptly contacted the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit, which then alerted the NYPD Bomb Squad to investigate the car and conduct a search for the potential explosive, stated NYPD Assistant Chief Ruel Stephenson.

Torre stated that he and his team successfully located and recovered the homemade bomb without any issues. They confirmed it was the only explosive device present in the car. However, they emphasized the necessity of conducting a search of Wrenick’s home to ensure no other explosives were present.

As of now, police believe Wrenick did not have any specific plans to detonate the bomb in a public space but rather that its presence stemmed from a domestic dispute.

"The person who was in possession of the device had potential emotional issues," NYPD Counterterrorism Deputy Chief Jason Huerta said. "We don't have any reason to believe that he was headed anywhere specifically, and because of some other information that we have, he seems to be rambling on about incoherent ideas and paranoia and things like that."

Police mentioned that both Wrenick and his cousin have criminal records, each with approximately 10 to 20 prior arrests; however, they did not provide specifics regarding the nature of those previous arrests.

The investigation remains ongoing as of Thursday, authorities said.