A Mira Mesa man used a pair of home made bombs to attempt to blow open ATM machines in San Diego, authorities allege, however he didn’t make off with any money.
As a substitute, he got here away with federal prices.
In response to federal authorities, 44-year-old Son Nguyen made two failed makes an attempt to steal money from ATM machines within the College Metropolis and Rancho Bernardo neighborhoods in June. Investigators mentioned they recognized Nguyen because the lead suspect after reviewing surveillance video and figuring out him via his car registration and facial options.
On Friday, authorities arrested Nguyen and charged him with two counts of utilizing explosives to wreck property. He faces a most penalty of 20 years in jail if convicted.
“Fortunately, neither of these incidents resulted in injury or successful theft of cash,” U.S. Lawyer Tara McGrath in San Diego mentioned Friday in a information launch. “With the discovery of chemicals and equipment in the search today, future attempts were also thwarted.”
Authorities accused a San Diego man of utilizing explosives to attempt to steal from ATM machines.
(United States Lawyer’s Workplace)
Each incidents occurred within the pre-dawn hours. Authorities allege that Nguyen made his first try on June 8 at an ATM exterior of a California Coast Credit score Union, utilizing a makeshift bomb constructed from a five-gallon blue plastic container with a white spout and black plastic pipe. The gadget brought about an explosion, however no money was taken, in response to the Justice Division.
Just some weeks later, regulation enforcement allege, Nguyen focused an ATM at a First Citizen’s Financial institution in Rancho Bernardo about 20 miles north of the preliminary try, utilizing the identical approach. This time, {the electrical} wiring on the ATM caught fireplace, authorities mentioned, inflicting smoke however not enabling theft of cash.
Neither the San Diego Fireplace Division nor the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace supplied an estimate of the property injury that occurred.
In a search of Nguyen’s residence, investigators discovered the components wanted to make black powder and different tools and clothes believed to have been used within the tried robberies, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace mentioned. A combination of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur, black powder is a sort of explosive that may be made merely at house with family merchandise and different chemical compounds out there on-line.
It’s not the primary time that would-be thieves have tried to blow open an ATM for what they assumed could be a fast smash and seize, solely to return away empty-handed.
Two years in the past, a detonation at a Financial institution of America ATM in Palmdale was so massive, it burst retailer home windows and could possibly be heard a mile away. Even with the energy of the blast, the ATM nonetheless didn’t surrender its contents. There have been no arrests in that case.
