FBI agents arrested two men from Plymouth and Bourne early Tuesday in connection with Saturday’s explosion at Harvard Medical School, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley said in a press conference.
On Cape Cod Avenue, in Manomet, Logan David Patterson, 18, was taken into custody at his mother’s house. One neighbor who did not want to be named said he saw Patterson being escorted by FBI agents into a vehicle.
Plymouth Police were also on scene. Barnstable Police provided a K-9 unit. Harvard University Police were also present, said Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston office. Neighbors saw more than 20 law enforcement vehicles on the quiet dead end street leading to the beach.
Dominick Frank Cardoza, 20, was taken into custody in Bourne.
The men were each charged with one count of conspiracy to damage, by means of an explosive, the Goldenson Building at Harvard Medical School
According to the charging document, at 2:33 a.m. Saturday, surveillance cameras captured two suspects wearing face coverings and lighting what appeared to be a Roman candle. Approximately 10 minutes later, the two defendants were allegedly seen climbing scaffolding on the side of 220 Longwood Avenue, in Boston, and accessing the roof, Foley said. A short time later, campus police were alerted to a fire alarm from an explosion on the fourth floor of the building, which houses a laboratory for the medical school’s department of neurobiology.
Security video allegedly shows the defendants exiting the building through a first-floor emergency exit and fleeing in opposite directions between 2:45 and 2:50 a.m. They began ditching some of their clothes, Foley said.
According to the charging document, the explosive, which went off in a locker, is believed to have been a large commercial firework.
The men were identified by four Wentworth University students, according to the charging document. They had attended Halloween social activities at Wentworth and the next morning, Patterson allegedly told one of the Wentworth students that he and Cardoza had placed a cherry bomb in a locker.
The two men were arrested after the execution of simultaneous search warrants at their homes, said Docks.
Foley said it was too early to speculate about a motive.
The men appeared in federal court Tuesday and were released on condition that they stay away from Harvard University and any associated buildings or property, refrain from possessing any firearm, destructive device, or other dangerous weapon or fireworks and avoid all contact with any witnesses.
Patterson was released into custody of his parents, his attorney, Kevin Reddington, said.
“He’s a very nice young man, comes from a great family, very responsible people, lovely people, and he’s got strong roots in the community, hardworking kid,” Reddington said.
Reddington declined to comment on the charge.
Fred Thys can be reached at fred@plymouthindependent.org