Man accused of inducing panic with extinguisher

2/23/2006

A 35-year-old Toledo man was arrested yesterday for tampering with a fire extinguisher and suggesting to authorities that it might be dangerous, police said.

Matthew Bialorucki of 4864 Overland Pkwy., Apt. 104, was being held in the Lucas County jail pending arraignment in Toledo Municipal Court on a charge of inducing panic.

The Northwest Ohio Bomb Squad was sent to the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks near Jackman and Laskey roads about 2:45 p.m. on a suspicious fire extinguisher in a ditch.

Mr. Bialorucki placed the dry chemical fire extinguisher in the oven in his apartment, which made it swell but not explode. He took it to the ditch, covered it with a dead opossum, returned to his apartment, and called the fire department complaining of a natural gas odor, police said.

The bomb squad rendered the fire extinguisher safe.