Story by Ethan
On October 7th, 2025, the arrest of Delano Hill, age 20, was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr.. Delano Hill was charged with first-degree Placing a False Bomb or Hazardous Substance, first-degree Falsely Reporting an Incident, and second-degree Attempted Criminal Possession of a Chemical Weapon or Biological Weapon. The arrest and charges against Delano Hill were a result of an investigation handled by Detective Haras Karimi and Detective John Chilelli from NYPD’s Intelligence Division Leads Investigation Unit and the Gwinnett County Police Department.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, on December 19th, 2024, allegedly Delano Hill set down a plastic bottle with a note at the NYPD’s 6th Precinct located on 233 West 10th Street. The note explained that inside the bottle was chlorine gas and that the individual that wrote the note and placed the bottle stabbed an individual with the name “Mr. Jones” in Suwanee, Georgia. The note alleged a second device left at Yeager International Airport in West Virginia, however no supposed device was located after a thorough search by law enforcement. After experts from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection reviewed the contents of the bottle it was alleged that it contained non-toxic levels of vinegar and bleach, however mixing the two liquids together can produce chlorine gas. The NYPD contacted the Gwinnett County Police Department with questions about the “Mr. Jones” referenced on the bottle’s note. It was explained that “Mr. Jones” referred to an ongoing investigation surrounding a man named Matthew Jones who died from being stabbed in Suwanee, Georgia on September 4th, 2022. A court-authorized search warrant was executed at Delano Hill’s residence in Suwanee, Georgia, that recovered a 24-page document allegedly detailing leaving the bottle of gas at a NYPD precinct and Matthew Jones’ death. The defendant was later indicted in a separate case for the murder of Matthew Jones alongside other charges.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Delano Hill are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
