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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Man accused of tossing explosive under an occupied car

A Spokane Police unit. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

A man is facing two felony charges after he allegedly threw a large firework under an occupied car in front of the House of Charity in March.

Multiple witnesses told police that Tyas R. Kelly, 24, lit the fuse on an explosive device and tossed it under a car occupied by his ex-girlfriend and another man, according to court documents. The two quickly got out of the vehicle and were not injured, but the car was damaged.

People up to two blocks away heard and felt the explosion, according to court documents. The incident was captured on video surveillance.

Two charges of first-degree malicious placement of an explosive were filed against Kelly Wednesday. He has been in the Spokane County Jail on an unrelated second-degree assault charge since June 15. His bond on the new charges was set at $20,000.

Kelly, who was interviewed about the incident in jail in June, told police that he got the firecracker in a trade for methamphetamine. He said he was mad at the man in the car but wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, according to court documents.

Police believe the explosive was an M-250 firework.