Stolen nitrogen found in rooms of bomb suspects

Residents and staff on the third floor of the Yavapai Residence Hall were evacuated from their rooms early yesterday morning after two students threw a dry ice bomb from an outside stairwell.

Steven Kobes, a computer science senior, and John Buonagurio, an optical sciences freshman, were arrested and booked into the Pima County Jail after police found evidence that the two had stolen liquid nitrogen from a university lab and used it to create and detonate the bomb, police and school officials said.

Residents and staff from the third floor were held in the lobby of the hall, 1222 E. South Campus Drive, until 8:45 a.m. while police searched the rooms of the students suspected in the bombing.

During the search of their rooms, police found the tank of liquid nitrogen and other university items that were stolen, police reports stated.

Someone heard the bomb go off 30 minutes earlier and called UAPD at 10:41 p.m.

The Tucson Police Department Bomb Squad was called in to help investigate. They confirmed that the bomb was made from liquid nitrogen.

Jack Rothacher, a business sophomore and Yuma resident, received a knock on his door early yesterday morning.

"They said that they were the police and that everybody needed to get out," he said. "None of us knew that we were going to be out for that long, so everybody was in their pajamas."

Although he didn't know Kobes and Buonagurio well, he did know that at least one of them was responsible for stealing the liquid nitrogen from the Marley building.

He said the evacuated students were also kept in the dark as police searched the suspects' rooms.

"It was pretty crappy that the cops didn't tell us what was going on," he said.

Kobes has been charged with two counts of misconduct involving weapons, possession of burglary tools and third degree burglary and theft, all of which are felonies.

Buonagurio was charged with one felony count of misconduct involving weapons and misdemeanor counts of theft and interfering with an educational institution.

Both students were also charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal trespassing, police reports stated.

UA Residence Life and the Dean of Student's Office are also launching investigations into the incident, although representatives could not speak of the actual case.

"Yes, we are investigating some allegations," Dean of Students Veda Kowalski said.

Herb Wagner, associate director of risk management and safety, said the 50-liter bottle of liquid nitrogen was first discovered missing on Friday. The lab attendant e-mailed those with access to the lab asking if anybody had seen it.

No one thought it was stolen, just misplaced, Wagner said.

He does not think that Kobes and Buonagurio regularly used the lab from which the liquid nitrogen was stolen.

"It was just a couple of students that saw it sitting around and walked off with it," Wagner said.