Branford Hall student arrested after exploding water bottle, say cops

Suffolk County police arrested a Holbrook man after a chemical reaction caused a water bottle he had handled to explode outside a career school in Bohemia on Wednesday.

Police said Eugene Iannotta, 49, had been handling plastic bottles in the parking lot of Branford Hall Career Institute, 565 Johnson Ave., Bohemia, at about 9 a.m.

At least one of the bottles contained a nontoxic mixture of water and a chemical that caused the bottle to become pressurized and explode, creating a loud popping sound, police said.

It was unclear why Iannotta, who was a student at the school, had the bottle.

Police charged him with unlawful possession of noxious material, a misdemeanor.

Iannotta could not be reached for comment. It was not clear if he had an attorney.

He will be arraigned at a later date, police said.