A woman suffered a “severe wound to her lower face” when her vape pen exploded Monday after she had its battery changed at a local business, police confirmed.
The woman went to The Vapor Shop in the 600 block of Harlem Road in Machesney Park for a new lithium battery shortly after 2 p.m. because hers had been “malfunctioning,” Lt. Pete DalPra of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department.
The woman placed the e-cigarette in her mouth after the battery was changed and began to puff on it when it exploded, injuring her face and setting a nearby desk on fire, DalPra said. A worker at the shop used a fire extinguisher to put out the small fire, he said. The woman was taken to the hospital but her condition was unknown. She also had “some tooth damage,” DalPra said.
A person who answered the phone Monday night at The Vapor Shop said they were talking to their lawyer about the situation before commenting.
No other details were immediately available.
