Press Release  Chelsea Police and State Police Make Arrest in Chelsea Explosion

CHELSEA — Chelsea Police detectives and State Police arrested a Dorchester man for allegedly setting off a small explosive in a Chelsea residential neighborhood this weekend, said Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton, Chelsea Fire Chief John Quatieri, and State Fire Marshal Jon Davine.

Chelsea Police and State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office last night arrested DOUGLAS C. MacMILLAN, 40, on a warrant charging possession of an incendiary device, as well as other offenses related to the placement and use of an incendiary device.

The charges stem from an explosion reported in the area of 1016 Revere Beach Parkway early Sunday afternoon. The Chelsea Fire Department responded to find signs of a small explosion on the ground near a walkway outside an apartment building. No injuries were reported but damage, debris, and other evidence indicated that it was an intentional event.

A post-blast investigation by the Chelsea Fire Department, Chelsea Police Department, and State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office found that the explosion likely involved an M-class explosive device, illegal in Massachusetts and many other states.

Investigators’ efforts in the hours and days that followed yielded video footage and other evidence leading to MacMillan’s identification. Chelsea and State Police located him in Dorchester late yesterday and placed him under arrest.

MacMillan will be arraigned in Chelsea District Court.

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