Teen put pressure cooker bomb under ex-girlfriend's bed, police say

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KOAT/CNN) - In New Mexico, an 18-year-old boy faces federal charges for allegedly putting an explosive device under his ex-girlfriend's bed.

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A bomb squad found the pressure cooker. Court documents say the pressure cooker had a fireworks fuse coming out of the top, explosives inside and nuts and bolts.

Investigators say Ethan Guillen broke into his ex-girlfriend's apartment while she and her family were at her high school graduation, and put the pressure cooker under her bed.

The apartment complex is right next to dozens of homes, so the explosive device was essentially in people's back yards.

Trent Laswell who lives in the neighborhood was at home while all of the activity was taking place. "Nothing bad really ever happens over here, it's really kind of a quiet community. That really kind of caught us off guard,” he said.

Fortunately, the device never detonated. "I was only feet away so she wouldn't be the only one affected by this. I mean, it's really scary," Laswell said on Friday.

The lack of a detonation is a relief for Trent, his neighbors, and the woman who found the device under her bed. Court documents say Guillen told police he planned for it to go off around 1:30 a.m.

Police say he waited around and listened to police scanners so he could hear about the explosion. It was days later when the young woman found the device under her bed.

If convicted, Guillen faces up to 10 years in federal prison.