Chemist who caused blast out on $2M bail

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SACRAMENTO, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- A University of California, Davis, chemist in jail for allegedly causing a blast in his on-campus apartment was released on $2 million bail, officials said.

Yolo County chief assistant deputy district attorney Michael Cabral said David Snyder's family members put up their homes and other properties up as collateral to secure the chemist's release last week.

Snyder is free pending a March 14 court date, though he is prohibited from stepping foot on the UC Davis campus without first notifying campus police, the Sacramento (Calif.) Bee reported Wednesday.

Snyder, 32, a Ph.D. chemist employed as a junior researcher at the university injured his hand in an explosion Jan. 17 that caused the evacuation of 74 residents from five campus residential buildings.

He pleaded not guilty to 27 explosives and weapons-related charges.

UC Davis Police Chief Matt Carmichael said there was no evidence Snyder was planning to harm anyone.

Snyder's lawyers said the explosion was an accident and it was the chemist's restless curiosity that led to the blast.