Georgia Man Arrested For Explosion In Neighborhood, Investigation Underway

A Georgia man was arrested for causing an explosion in his Clayton County neighborhood Monday.

Morrow police responded to reports of an explosion on Burbank Trail and spoke to a witness who saw 57-year-old Joseph Borlie, Jr. lighting a device in front of his residence. Cops also noticed a powdery substance and remnants of a plastic container on the road, WSB-TV reported.

"A witness on scene advised that Borlie lit the device which exploded shortly thereafter, sending small particles of marble and/or tile fragments in every direction," Morrow Police Department said in a statement on Facebook.

According to officials, the blast radius measured 65 feet and residents of eight to ten houses away from the explosion site felt their windows rattle. They also reported items falling from their fireplace mantle following the explosion.

Cops obtained a search warrant and looked into Borile's home and reportedly found a large amount of marijuana and additional potential bomb-making materials. It remained unknown if there were any active devices in Borile's home at the time of the search.

"What was found here was device that was built by the suspect, we allege," said Morrow Police Major Mark Woodall. Borlie was arrested and charged with manufacturing an explosive device and reckless conduct.

The Clayton County Bomb Squad also reached the scene and set up an X-ray machine to investigate the potential explosives.

Woodall revealed the device was detonated on top of a storm drain across the street from the Borlie's residence. "We received multiple calls from up to ten homes away, I'm told, who stated their homes shook on foundation violently," he said.

"Obviously, it's concerning when you have an explosion in a quiet neighborhood for no apparent reason," Woodall added. "Normally, you suspect a transformer or a residential inline, a power line, those will tend to unravel and explode. That was not what was found here."

He also noted that it was an isolated incident and someone was just experimenting, confirming that there was no further danger in the area. The motive behind the explosion was not clear. An investigation was launched into the matter.