Cedar Falls Teens Charged for Destroying Mailboxes

By Stephen Schmidt, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mar. 23–CEDAR FALLS — Two Cedar Falls teens are facing charges of reckless use of explosives and destruction of mail — a federal offense — after explosive devices they learned how to make from the Internet damaged the mailboxes of several Cedar Falls residents Wednesday night.

Casey Schwickerath, 15, and Michael Truelsen, 15, were both charged after their arrests Friday. Authorities said they are certain that the two are not connected to a string of pipe bombings that have recently plagued the state.

“These are two 15-year-old kids who don’t have any access to cars,” said Lt. Mike McCallum of the Cedar Falls police. “They just put these bombs in mailboxes right in their neighborhood.” McCallum said police learned about an additional explosive device they had not known about through interviews with the two teens, and their cooperation leads him to believe they are telling the truth.

The devices were created using gunpowder taken from a rocket or similar device, which was then rolled in paper with some blasting caps. The damage to the mailboxes was only apparent after the mailboxes were opened. No injuries were reported.

The bombings in Cedar Falls come in the wake of a string of 20 incidents involving mailboxes and explosives, with several in Clayton County and four bombs made from pop bottles found in Des Moines mailboxes earlier this month. Five youths were cited for the Clayton County incidents.

McCallum said he is less concerned about the potential of the two boys copying other crimes than that they found the information about making the bombs on the Internet.

“Parents need to try to keep an eye on what their kids are doing and looking at on the Internet,” McCallum said.

Contact the writer: (319) 398-8240 or stephen. schmidt@gazettecommunications.com

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