Father and son arrested after bomb-making chemicals found in Syosset home

A swastika allegation at Syosset High School led Nassau County police to a Syosset home, where investigators say they found chemicals that had been combined to create explosive materials and forced the evacuation of the house and nearby residents.

Police responded to the Patricia Lane address just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday after opening an investigation into the 15-year-old son, who is accused of drawing a swastika in a bathroom at the high school. What began as a school-based hate incident quickly widened into a public-safety emergency when officers discovered hazardous materials inside the home, according to investigators.

The Nassau County Fire Marshal and Nassau County Bomb Squad were called to the scene to remove the chemicals. Video from the street showed numerous bottles and containers lined up on the driveway, underscoring the scale of the response and the risk posed to the surrounding block while authorities secured the property.

Investigators said the teen’s father, Francisco Sanles, 48, paid for the chemicals on multiple occasions. Sanles was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of criminal facilitation. He was expected to be arraigned Thursday in Hempstead.

The 15-year-old also faces multiple charges, including two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief and aggravated harassment. The case has drawn attention because the investigation started with alleged antisemitic conduct at school and then escalated into the discovery of materials police say could be used to make explosives, raising questions about how warning signs were handled before the situation reached a neighborhood home.