Toronto: Suspicious item found in garage turned to be bomb

A 26-year-old Toronto man, identified as Robert Rochon, was arrested and charged Tuesday with 15 crimes, including ownership of an explosive substance to risk life, two counts of possession of an illegal weapon attained by crime, possession of cocaine and oxycodone and two counts of negligent packing of a firearm.

Police had executed a search warrant on a home on Scarborough Golf Club Road, near Lawrence Avenue East Monday at 7:20 p.m. and found an explosive device in a children’s toys box inside the home’s garage.

Several homes in the neighbourhood were evacuated by police and the bomb squad was called in.

The suspicious item was taken to an unrevealed location and set off safely.

It was described as a pipe bomb to CTV News Toronto by Police at 43 Division.

Police allowed all evacuated residents go back to their homes by 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The search in the remainder of the property by police officers resulted in location of a rifle and a handgun, several hundreds of rounds of ammunition, drugs and currency.

Rochon appeared in court at Old City Hall on Tuesday morning.

Mark Saunders, Chief of Police, Toronto Police Services tweeted this morning: "Great team work by @TPS33Div and ETF this week w/safe disposal of an explosive device and the seizure of firearms/ammo/drugs. Excellent job."

The police requested anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-3300, or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477 (TIPS).

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

(Image of Pipe Bomb: Wikipedia)