Eleven-year-old Cydnee Somera nearly lost her hand because of "an improvised explosive device — the things that are killing our soldiers in Iraq now," a prosecutor said in court yesterday.

The men who assembled that device and ignited it on New Year's 2005 signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in court yesterday and now face punishments ranging from probation to 11 years in prison.

Joelson Ea, 37, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, reckless endangering and criminal property damage. Marc Bantolina, 39, pleaded no contest to a single charge of reckless endangerment. The men are brothers-in-law.

In return for Ea's guilty plea, the prosecution dropped a charge of possession of a prohibited firearm. The same charge against Bantolina was dropped, as well as separate counts of assault and criminal property damage.

They will be sentenced Nov. 19 by Circuit Judge Richard Perkins.

Ea could be sentenced to 11 years behind bars but his lawyer, Benjamin Ignacio, said he will ask the judge for five years' probation.

Ea has accepted responsibility for his actions, Ignacio said, calling the explosion "an unfortunate incident involving illegal fireworks."

Bantolina "can't begin to make up for the pain and suffering the Somera family has been through," said his lawyer, William Domingo.

Domingo also will ask for a sentence of probation, saying his client, an electrician, has no previous criminal record.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Franklin Pacarro Jr. said the victim in the case has recovered from her injuries and is now playing sports and living a normal life, but only after undergoing "numerous surgeries" to repair her shattered hand.

The little girl was struck by shrapnel sent hurtling through the air when a balloon filled with acetylene gas, weighted down with a piece of a barbell, exploded shortly after midnight Jan. 1, 2005, Pacarro said. The balloon had been placed in a metal bucket filled with sand and placed on a residential street in 'Aiea.

"The idiot factor is high in this case," Pacarro said.

The force of the explosion blew out windows and drove shrapnel into the bodies and tires of four vehicles parked on the street that night.

The cars protected bystanders from additional injuries, Pacarro said.

The Somera family agreed with the prosecutor's decision to sign the plea agreement with the defendants, Pacarro said. Family members are expected to testify at the sentencing hearing, he said.

Pacarro said "people continue to make these devices" by inflating balloons with acetylene gas used by welders and exploding them on the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve.

"It is a serious offense," he said, "and you're going to be held accountable."