A Syosset man and his 15-year-old son were arrested Wednesday after police investigating a swastika graffiti incident at Syosset High School discovered materials used to make explosives inside their home, Nassau County police said.
The investigation began after officers responded to a reported bias incident at Syosset High School on Southwoods Road. Detectives determined that the juvenile had drawn a swastika inside a boys restroom at the school.
As the investigation continued, officers went to the teen’s home, where they found multiple chemicals that had been combined to create explosive materials, according to police.
Photo: Syosset High School. AITFFan1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Authorities immediately evacuated the residence and surrounding homes as a precaution. The Nassau County Fire Marshal, Arson Bomb Squad, Emergency Service Unit and Hazardous Materials Response Team responded to the scene and removed the materials safely.
Police said further investigation revealed the teen’s father, 48-year-old Francisco Sanles of Syosset, had paid for the purchase of the chemicals on multiple occasions.
Sanles was taken into custody without incident and charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree, two counts of Criminal Facilitation in the Fourth Degree, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Reckless Endangerment.
The 15-year-old is charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree, Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, Aggravated Harassment in the First Degree and Making Graffiti.
Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree is among the most serious felony charges in New York and carries the potential for significant prison time if convicted.
Sanles is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, April 23 at First District Court in Hempstead. The juvenile is expected to be arraigned in Nassau County Family Court in Mineola.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Photo: NCPD
