Strange East Boston Explosion: Bail Set At $200k For Boston Man

BOSTON, MA — A judge set bail at $200,000 for the man accused of causing an explosion early Sunday morning that left a hole in the second floor of the triple-decker and blew out the windows of the apartment Sunday, injuring him in the process.

Tomas Mikula, 28, was still in his hospital bed when the judge ruled he would need to be fitted with a GPS device if released. Mikula pleaded not guilty.

Before he went to the hospital, police said he told them the explosion started in his second-floor apartment, where they allegedly later found two handguns, a rifle and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.

A bomb squad sweep of his apartment found materials that are usually connected to explosive devices. A search warrant sweep ended in the seizure of PVC tubing and chemical compounds, materials commonly used for homemade explosives.

Mikula is charged with unlawful possession of explosives, unlawful possession of an incendiary device, willful ignition and discharge of a destructive or incendiary device, two counts unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawful possession of a high capacity firearm.

Police don't think this case is related to terrorism or “any sinister plot,” Police Commissioner William Evans told reporters over the weekend, according to NECN. “It appears the individual was playing an experiment with powder and chemicals and we believe from that, combustion, it blew up in his face,” he said said.

Someone with the same name and age as Mikula listed their job on LinkedIn as a bar tender in the Boston area. That person was formerly a projects consultant subcontractor for the Us Dept of Defense, and a ssergeant in the US Army from 2007 to May 2013.

In 2009 a Wicked Local crime blog post notes a man with the same name from East Boston was arrested for identity theft.

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Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).