Device recovered outside East Harlem NYPD stationhouse after machete assault was 'operable,' suspect arrested

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — NYPD officials confirmed on Thursday that a device recovered outside an East Harlem stationhouse the day before was "operable," and the device holder, who also assaulted his cousin with a machete, was charged.

Chontrell Wrenick, 50, was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment and assault with intent to cause physical injury.

The NYPD Bomb Squad and Emergency Service Unit r esponded to the department’s 25th Precinct on East 119th Street at 11:50 a.m. on Wednesday after a car pulled up driven by Wrenick’s cousin. The cousin told two uniformed officers, who were assigned to stationhouse security, that he was the victim of a domestic assault.

According to police, Wrenick had struck the victim with a machete in the back of the head during an argument, “causing a bleeding bruise.”

Wrenrick, who lives in the precinct, was immediately removed into the stationhouse and the machete was secured. The victim then indicated that there was an explosive device in the car, at which point reinforcements responded to the scene.

Commanding Officer of the Bomb Squad Mark Torre initially described the device as a “potentially viable improvised explosive device” during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard said on Pix11 Thursday that a further technical investigation determined that it was “operable.”

“It’s being described as a low incendiary device,” Sheppard said. “So, capable of causing harm, but not mass causalities.”

The deputy commissioner said that the device could not be classified as a bomb, but rather used powder akin to that used in fireworks.

More firework-adjacent materials were found in Wrenick’s home, and Sheppard said that it seemed like he was “tinkering” with them, but that he does not think that Wrenick was targeting anyone or belonged on a watchlist.

His social media resulted in Sheppard describing him as a “paranoid individual,” and he was transported to a hospital on Thursday, though the investigation is ongoing.

When asked why he thinks the cousins arrived at the 25 ^th Precinct, the deputy commissioner said “to get help.”

“The cousin got hit in the head, and also he realized when his cousin got hit with the device that his cousin was probably going through some sort of mental episode,” Sheppard said. “And he went to the 25th to get help.”