San Diego County Sheriff's department investigators met with FBI agents Monday morning to figure out exactly what they're going to do with a large stash of dangerous bomb-making materials still inside an Escondido home.
The cache was discovered when gardener Maria Garcia, 49, was injured while working in the backyard of a home on Via Scott Thursday. Garcia said he stepped on some gravel and suddenly there was a huge boom. The father of three was badly burned on the left side of his body and said he wasn't sure if he was going to survive.
On Friday, deputies found at least six containers with home made explosives in the area outside the home. Neighbors could hear the explosions set off by the bomb squad as they detonated the containers.
“These explosives are highly sensitive, very powerful. So powerful, and so sensitive that simply by scuffing your foot on these can detonate”, said Jan Caldwell with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
Over the weekend, the search for explosives came to a halt when deputies found large amounts of homemade explosive powder in the living room. Several containers hold hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, or HMTD, found among tubes and solvents according to our media partners the North County Times.
"The search has been suspended so we can basically regroup," Caldwell said.
Right now there is no timetable to resume the efforts. The news media will be updated when more information is available said Caldwell.
The man renting the home, George Jakubec, 54, is in the Vista County jail on charges related to possession of illegal explosives. He's scheduled to be arraigned Monday afternoon. Neighbors say he kept to himself, but they often saw strangers around the home.
The suspect lives with his wife, who has not been arrested, the North County Times reported. Even after interviewing her, investigators don't know why Jakubec was making large amounts of explosive, Caldwell told the paper.
