Deadly Calif. blast probed as a crime
LOS ANGELES — An explosion that killed the owner of a Southern California day spa and seriously injured two patrons is being investigated as a crime after federal officials found remnants of an explosive device inside the medical building blasted by the charge, officials said yesterday.
The explosion occurred yesterday in Aliso Viejo, about 50 miles south of Los Angeles. It blew siding off the walls, exposing insulation and framing and shattering windows in the two-story building.
“At this point, we do not believe this was an accident,” said Paul Delacourt, special agent in charge of the FBI’s field office in Los Angeles. “Our working theory is that this explosion was caused by a device.”
Pieces of the device found at the scene were being sent to the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, Va., to be analyzed, he said.
Delacourt said investigators were still working to determine a motive and figure out exactly how the device was brought to the spa. He would not say whether the woman killed had been specifically targeted.
Two officials told The Associated Press that investigators believe the blast was caused by an explosive package that was specifically targeting the office where the explosion occurred. One of the officials said one of the victims was believed to be the target.