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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 7:49 p.m., Friday, December 19, 2008

UH-Hilo student charged in bomb incident

Advertiser Staff

HILO, Hawai'i — A 20-year-old University of Hawai'i-Hilo student was charged today in connection with two small "bottle bomb" explosions on the Big Island campus.

Edward E. Wine, of Hilo, was charged with one count of first-degree terroristic threatening, Big Island police said.

No injuries or damage resulted from the early-morning blasts, and campus operations continued without disruption, according to Chancellor Rose Tseng.

She noted the campus is lightly populated this week since classes ended last week and exams are taking place before tomorrow's commencement.

The county Fire Department described the devices as one-liter plastic bottles containing "suspicious materials."

The suspect, a former Maui resident, was arrested yesterday afternoon after voluntarily presenting himself at the request of investigators.

The first homemade bomb went off at 1:16 a.m. yesterday near Hale Kauanoe dormitory. While police officers were investigating the first explosion, another device went off near the Life Sciences building. Two of the bottle bombs — one detonated, the other not — were found tied to a tree near the science building.

An Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal team was summoned to disarm the unexploded device.

The university alerted students, faculty and staff to the incident by an e-mail UH Alert message at 5:15 a.m.

"We take this matter very seriously. The safety of everyone on campus is of the highest priority," said Tseng in a statement.

Wine was charged today at 7 p.m.

He is scheduled to appear before a judge Jan. 20 at 1:30 p.m.