Madison police find homemade explosive on bike path

MADISON — Police are investigating how a homemade explosive device ended up near a Madison bike path.

Madison Police issued a news release Sunday saying that park users that afternoon reported a suspicious item near the path in Rennebohm Park on the city's west side. Officers found a soda bottle filled with a mixture that when contained builds pressure and could explode.

A police spokesman says officers consulted with the Dane County bomb squad and unscrewed the bottle's cap, relieving the pressure.

The spokesman wasn't sure how long the bottle had been in the park or what was in it, saying the mixture will have to be tested. He said officers found a toilet bowl cleaner bottle nearby, leading them to believe toilet bowl cleaner may have been in the device.