A baggage handler arrested after dry ice bombs exploded at Los Angeles
International Airport planted the devices as a prank, police said
Wednesday.
The motive was disclosed a day after the arrest of Dicarlo Bennett, a
28-year-old employee for the ground handling company Servisair.
"I think we can safely say he is not a terrorist or an organized crime
boss. He did this for his own amusement," said Los Angeles police Deputy
Chief Michael Downing, who heads the department's counter-terrorism and
special operations bureau.
No one was hurt on Sunday when two plastic bottles packed with dry ice
exploded in an employee bathroom and on the airport's tarmac. An
unexploded device was found Monday night.
As a result of the incident, airport officials plan to meet with law
enforcement authorities to examine potential security enhancements at
one of the nation's busiest airports.
The meeting also will explore the handling and transport of dry ice and
other hazardous materials and possible improvements to those procedures.
Arif Alikhan, deputy executive director for Homeland Security and Law
Enforcement at Los Angeles World Airports, said such meetings are
routine after problems.
"We'll look at all layers of security existing at the airport, including
technology, physical infrastructure, the partnership of tenants,
awareness of employees to potential hazardous items like dry ice,"
Alikhan said.
Workers at the airport must pass a criminal background check before they
can get a security badge for access to restricted areas, LAX
spokeswoman Nancy Castles said.
On Tuesday, police arrested Bennett, who was booked for possession of a
destructive device near an aircraft and held on $1 million bail.
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