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A soldier from Linton Military Camp has been arrested after a molotov cocktail was thrown at a Palmerston North house.
Police arrested the 18-year-old man on Monday night after a report of the firebomb being thrown from a car at a flat in Waldegrave Street, the Manawatu Standard reported today.
Constable Paul Sheehan told the paper police arrested the soldier on the corner of Wood and Featherston streets. He had stopped a white van carrying the alleged offender and four friends.
The explanation given by the man for throwing the bottled oil and petrol mixture was that he was "bored", Mr Sheehan said.
The soldier was held in military police cells and was due to appear in Palmerston North District Court tomorrow.
Linton spokesman Geoff Faraday said it was expected the man would be expelled from the army.
About 10 minutes before the arrest, police had been called to another firebomb incident, thrown at a concrete wall of Central City Vets in Pitt Street.
Mr Sheehan said the man denied any involvement with that incident.
- NZPA
