Tirar Tortorello is charged with planting three pipe bombs on his neighbor’s porch in Laconia, NH on March 10, 2023. (Belknap County Jail)
A New Hampshire man has been arrested for allegedly placing several pipe bombs on a neighbor’s porch.
Tirar Tortorello, 53, is charged with three counts of possession of an infernal machine, according to Belknap County Jail records.
A Nutmeg state law defines an “infernal machine” as “any device that would endanger life or cause property damage, or both, by fire or explosion, whether or not designed to ignite or explode automatically and whether or not disguised to appear harmless.”
The charge is considered a Class A felony under New Hampshire law.
According to Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield, a call came in on Sunday afternoon about the discovery of a suspicious package at an Oak Street residence, Manchester-based ABC affiliate WMUR reported. Laconia is located approximately 45 miles north of Manchester.
Police say surveillance video showed the accused leaving a package on the porch of a residence, the TV station reported. A neighbor called the incident because he thought the packaging might contain illegal drugs. Officers, however, said they discovered the package contained pipe bombs.
“As I unpacked this bag, I could see a white PVC pipe that had what looked like a fuse connected to it,” an officer wrote in an affidavit obtained by CBS News, adding that they could smell three separate objects inside. package wrapped in plastic and packing tape.
The New Hampshire State Police bomb squad was called and confirmed the pipe bombs were “live” with an X-ray, police said. A robot was used to transport the package out of the area, WMUR reported. Law enforcement issued a shelter-in-place order for five hours while the devices were disposed of, police told the TV station.
The bomb disposal team “determined that they were three pipe bombs filled with gunpowder,” says the affidavit obtained by CBS.
“The device was transported offsite to a safe location, where it detonated and, in fact, identified as explosive and potentially hazardous,” Canfield told WMUR. “It was further identified as three separate pipe bombs stuck together as a single unit.”
After allegedly being identified through the video footage, Tortorello admitted to placing the package on the woman’s porch, according to police in court documents obtained by the broadcaster.
The suspect also reportedly described the contents of the package, according to CBS News – but did not explain.
Tortorello is being held without bond in protective custody, the prison file notes.
Class A felonies can be punished up to 15 years in New Hampshire and a $4,000 fine.
According to WMUR, he does not live in the building but was staying there recently, citing police. Law enforcement thought there might have been a dispute about something.
On Monday, police did not know if there was a connection between the suspect and the woman targeted by the pipe bombs, according to the head of the New Hampshire union.
“We’re not sure of a motive yet,” Canfield told the newspaper.
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