Two 13-year-old boys are facing aggravated-assault charges after slipping a homemade bomb into a postal worker's mail cart Thursday, police said.
About 3 p.m. a postal worker was delivering mail on Farson Street near Arch in West Philadelphia, when the teens crept up to her cart and stuffed a bottle bomb inside.
When the postal worker began walking back to the cart, police said a witness told her the canvas cart was going to blow.
"An explosion occurs, the flap of the mail cart flies open and bits of paper flew around-landing on the sidewalk," said Lt. John Walker, of the Southwest Detective Division said.
The postal worker called 9-1-1 and was taken to Presbyterian Hospital after complaining of breathing difficulties.
As of yesterday, the woman had been treated and released, Walker said.
The bomb was made of household cleaning liquids and aluminum foil that were mixed in an empty water bottle.
"They are very dangerous," Walker said, "In this case it's containted inside of a canvas bag, which obviously creates some issues if it flies around and strkes people."
Both boys were in the Youth Study Center last night.
