Homemade bomb caused LA synagogue blast: police
A homemade bomb caused an explosion near a Californian synagogue, police said Friday, naming an “extremely dangerous” homeless person they are hunting over the blast.
Some 100 peope were evacuated after the explosion Thursday near the Chabad House Jewish temple in Santa Monica, west of Los Angeles, which officials had said was due to some kind of industrial accident.
But Santa Monica police spokesman Jay Trisler said late Friday that further investigation had found material linked to a known transient in the debris of a metal post which landed on a nearby roof after the blast.
The suspect was named as 60-year-old Ron Hirsch — who also goes by the name of Israel Fisher — wanted on charges of possessing a destructive device and other unrelated charges.
“Hirsch is known to frequent synagogues and Jewish community centers seeking charity from patrons,” said Trisler, adding that while the motive for an attack was unknown, Hirsch should be considered “extremely dangerous.”
Nobody was injured in the early morning blast, which triggered initial reports of a pipe bomb before police said it due to “some type of mechanical failure,” apparently underground.