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| Explosive device detonates in California Sam's Club; suspect in custody after brief chase |
| 2018-04-06 |
| [KABC] A 49-year-old man was taken into custody after a small explosive device was detonated Thursday afternoon inside a Sam's Club in Ontario, the Ontario Police Department said. According to a police spokesperson, the incident was initially reported at 2:08 p.m. as a structure fire after the caller heard a "popping sound" on aisle 4 of the warehouse store in the 900 block of Milliken Avenue. Authorities later confirmed that a device was detonated, but there were no injuries or significant damage. Evacuated employees stood in the taped-off parking lot as the investigation got underway. "It wasn't like an earth-shaking big explosion," said witness Norman Svikss. "It was like a low sound, like 'boom.' And there's no smoke, nothing. Then the employees start running around and then they slowly said, 'Hey, we have to evacuate the building,' because it's fire or something." About three miles southeast of the scene, the driver of a white compact car was pulled over after a short pursuit and apprehended in connection with the incident, police said, adding that early reports of a barricade situation were unfounded. The suspect was identified as Hugo Gonzalez, a Fontana resident who authorities believe acted alone. Police bomb squad personnel searched the vehicle that was stopped in a traffic lane near the intersection of Airport Drive and Etiwanda Avenue. Two plates with different license numbers were seen on the ground near the vehicle. Police initially said a second explosive device was found inside the vehicle, but later retracted that statement and clarified that bomb-making materials were discovered. Meanwhile, police were also searching an apartment in the 16500 block of Arrow Boulevard in Fontana that investigators believe is associated with Gonzalez. The motive for the incident was unknown. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |