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Bombing suspects arrested in separate Medford incidents By Dani Dodge of the Mail Tribune Medford police arrested two people Friday for setting off bombs in Medford. One of the explosions occurred at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the rear parking lot of the YMCA. The other occurred on Oct. 14, when a man threw a Molotov cocktail under a car in the 800 block of West Second Street. In Friday's incident, police responded to an explosion in the rear parking lot of the YMCA, 522 W. Sixth St., Medford. Officers found evidence of the explosion of a small homemade bomb. The tinfoil-and-tape-wrapped device appeared to have been attached to a Walkman-type radio, police said. Parts of the Walkman were found more than 50 feet away from the detonation. Although police said there were no injuries and no damage to the YMCA building, the homemade explosive could have injured someone if they had happened to be walking by when the device detonated. After interviewing witnesses, police found three juveniles who had been seen leaving the scene of the incident. They arrested one 17-year-old Medford boy on charges of possession and manufacturing of a destructive device and recklessly endangering another person. He was taken to the Jackson County juvenile detention facility, police said. Police said the 17-year-old had made the device and lit it. He was charged with reckless endangerment because of the proximity of the explosion to a Head Start playground. The other two juveniles were interviewed and released. Police do not expect any additional charges or suspects in the case. Police arrested Ramon C. Castro Jr., 19, of 120 Lincoln St., Medford, on a charge of first-degree arson in relation to the firebombing of a car on Oct. 14. In that case, the victim heard glass breaking outside his home at 11:45 p.m. He went outside and found fire under his car in the carport. The victim put out the fire with a garden hose. Police said Castro and the victim had had a "discussion" about two hours prior to the firebombing. Because of the discussion, Castro was upset with the victim, police said, although they declined to categorize the conversation as an argument. On Oct. 28, police served a search warrant at Castro's home. Officers found evidence that they gave to the crime lab. That evidence linked Castro to the bombing, leading to Friday's arrest. Castro was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on $20,000 bail. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA