22-year-old suspect is outdoor vending 'cast member' and is held on $1m bail on suspicion of possessing destructive device

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

Police have arrested a Disneyland employee over an apparent dry ice explosion which caused the evacuation of the theme park's Toontown on Tuesday.

Christian Barnes, 22, described as an outdoor vending "cast member", was being held on $1m bail Wednesday on suspicion of possessing a destructive device.

"Barnes is cooperating with investigators and has indicated this is an isolated incident with unanticipated impacts," said Sergeant Bob Dunn, a spokesman for Anaheim police department.

No motive was cited. Barnes, a resident of nearby Long Beach, sold drinks from a cart.

The dry ice appeared to have been packed into a plastic bottle and left in a rubbish bin, which contained the small blast.

The Los Angeles attraction opened as normal on Wednesday, and managers played down the incident which prompted the brief evacuation of families and the mobilisation of a police bomb squad. No one was injured.

"Review is complete. Mickey's Toontown has been deemed 'all clear' by local authorities. Guests are welcomed [sic] to return," the company said in a statement.

Before the arrest Dunn said Disneyland used a lot of dry ice, but he also noted that police often came across crude dry ice bombs in Anaheim. "These are very common, unfortunately, in our neighbourhoods." After the arrest he said there appeared to be no connection with those other bombs.

Investigators trawled social media postings and reviewed video surveillance footage for clues.

Toontown has cartoon-style architecture and includes the home of Mickey Mouse. It is popular with young children.