COOK COUNTY COURTHOUSE — A 21-year-old photographer appeared in court Thursday with a burned face after prosecutors said he accidentally blew up a batch of hash oil he was cooking in his South Loop bathroom.
Daniel Tatman's mug shot shows burns to his forehead and cheeks, the result of an 11 p.m. butane blast in the 1200 block of South Michigan Avenue, authorities said.
Tatman was in the bathroom, using butane to extract THC from marijuana plants to make potent hash oil, used to make marijuana-laced foods like brownies.
But the butane escaped and ignited, causing a blast that burned Tatman and his roommate, who suffered second-degree burns, prosecutors said.
Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said the butane fumes were wafting around the bathroom when Tatman called his 21-year-old roommate over.
When the roommate opened the door, the butane ignited, causing a "back draft" explosion.
When police arrived, they found about 1,900 grams of suspected marijuana, worth about $30,500, prosecutors said.
Tatman is charged with possession, reckless conduct causing great bodily harm or permanent disfigurement and criminal damage to property for the estimated $20,000 it will cost to fix the apartment.
Cook County Judge Israel Desierto released Tatman Thursday and ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet while his case is pending.