Second arrest over US airport dry ice bomb 'pranks'

LOS ANGELES - A second man was arrested Friday in connection with dry ice bombs planted at the main Los Angeles airport, police said.

Ground services supervisor Miguel Angel Iniguez, 41, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a destructive device near an aircraft, Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Sally Madera said.

Iniguez is being held in lieu of US$500,000 (S$620,000) bail, half the amount set for his subordinate Dicarlo Bennett, who got the same charge on Thursday.

Bennett could face up to six years in jail, though police said he set off the devices as a prank rather than anything more sinister.

He pleaded not guilty to two counts of possessing a destructive device in a public place.

Nobody was injured by the devices going off, but they led to evacuations and disrupted flights.

One of the devices that exploded was placed early Sunday evening in an employee restroom at the airport, according to police.

A second was deposited near an aircraft at the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Both devices were made with plastic bottles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The second device, along with a third that did not detonate, was not reported until Monday.