Man threw ‘Drano bombs’ at ex-girlfriend’s home, police say

CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - A 30-year-old Ohio man is facing charges after allegedly concocting “Drano bombs” he threw at his ex-girlfriend’s home.

Ryan Burwinkel, 30, is being held on a $190,000 bond following his arrest for arson, manufacturing explosives and stalking charges, according to Hamilton County court records.

Barry Coleman lives across the street from Burwinkel’s ex-girlfriend. He told WXIX he ran outside after he heard the explosion from the Drano bombs.

“Didn’t really see anything, so I didn’t think much. Maybe it was some kids,” Coleman said.

However, he said he heard the same noise about 30 minutes later.

“I was out here, and one actually went off in the neighbor’s yard, and it just continued to happen again the next night and the next night,” Coleman said. “The police were finally called and did some investigating.”

The police found a few Drano bombs in the area and securely removed them.

Around 30 minutes after officers left the area, Coleman said he saw a suspicious truck driving through the neighborhood.

“I saw the gentleman [Burwinkel] in a truck throw a bottle in the yard, and I kind of chased him around the corner, and I got the first three letters of his license plate,” Coleman said.

He called police with the partial license plate, and they were able to track the truck back to Burwinkel, according to court documents.

The bombs can blow out a window, sever fingers, or cause second or third-degree burns. The chemicals inside the bomb can also leave a victim blind.

The consequences that a Drano bomb could cause were considered by a Hamilton County judge when Burwinkel appeared in court Tuesday.

“Because it explodes due to pressure, so you never know when it will go off, so once he throws it in the yard, some kid could run out and get blown up,” the judge said. “It’s a very dangerous thing.”

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