‘Things are getting crazier’: Neighbors react to arrests in explosions in Greece neighborhood
GREECE, N.Y. — Two men face charges for allegedly setting off homemade explosives on Lida Lane in Greece nearly two weeks ago — one of which caused over $6,200 in damage to a storm drain.
Neighbors are doing okay and are thankful no one was hurt — but were terrified after hearing a loud boom and being rocked off their feet.
“We heard it and jumped out of bed — it terrified my dogs, it terrified my family. We didn’t know what happened. Our whole house felt like it shook,” said one neighbor who has lived in the neighborhood for 13 years.
“The deliberate destruction of property, the disregard for other people’s safety — it’s concerning,” Dan, another neighbor, said.
After becoming aware of complaints and social media posts depicting the use of explosives, Greece Police — along with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office’s bomb squad — determined that homemade explosives were used to cause over $6,200 in damage to a storm drain. They charged Eric Demorest, 37, of Greece, on Friday with first-degree criminal mischief and first-degree criminal possession of a weapon. According to court paperwork, he is accused of “igniting an explosive substance and intentionally dropping it into the sewer grate” at about 8 p.m. June 22 on Lida Lane. It detonated and caused the concrete basin to crack and need repair or replacement, according to the felony complaint.
Demorest was arraigned in Greece Town Court and remanded to the Monroe County Jail in lieu of $1,000 cash, $2,000 bond, or 47,500 partially secured bond. He was no longer in jail as of Friday evening.
The storm drain has since been repaired.
On Wednesday, police charged Kurt Lowenguth, 32, of Brockport, with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He is accused of possessing an explosive device that was affixed to a plastic cat littler container, also at 8 p.m. June 22. He was arraigned in Greece Town Court and released to pre-trial services.
Both men are scheduled to be arraigned June 22 in Greece Town Court.
“Why are we doing this — this is people’s livelihood,” says the woman who has lived in the neighborhood for 13 years. “People work hard to have their homes in this neighborhood. If there’s damage done we’re responsible — or who’s responsible. You know there’s children in this neighborhood. It’s just not fair to residents.”
She says the neighborhood is typically peaceful, and many of the families get along and look out for one another.
“It is very disruptive — I think it makes people want to move. This is nice neighborhood; it always has been a nice neighborhood — but now its like ‘why, why now — why is this happening? It’s very disturbing,” she said.
Dan said he’s spent a good part of his life there and has seen a lot of crazy things, but never adults detonating homemade explosives.
“It seems nowadays things are getting crazier and crazier — people are trying to outdo each other, and some people never grow up,” he said.