Scammer
Banned
A federal judge has cleared the way for authorities to burn down a Southern California home that has been called the site of the nation's largest-ever cache of homemade explosives.
The judge's ruling means officials can proceed with the burn at noon ET Thursday.
George Djura Jakubec had asked the judge Wednesday to delay the razing of his home so his lawyer could retrieve evidence, but the judge ruled against the appeal.
Authorities have called the home a "bomb factory" and said they have to burn the home because it was too dangerous for bomb squads to re-enter.
Dozens of residents will be evacuated and part of a nearby interstate will be shut down during the burn, the San Diego Sheriff's Department said.
Numerous bomb experts and hazardous materials teams will be on site to help with the burn, the sheriff's department said.
The case began November 18 when officials found about nine pounds of hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, or HMTD, in the backyard of the home after a gardener accidentally ignited some of the material.
One expert likened the nine pounds to a large car bomb, which could have blown out the house's windows and doors and damage adjacent houses.
Inside the home, bomb crews discovered more HMTD and another type of homemade explosive: pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN).
Jakubec, a 54-year-old computer software consultant, was arrested and is being held in lieu of $5 million bail on bomb-making and bank robbery charges.
The judge's ruling means officials can proceed with the burn at noon ET Thursday.
George Djura Jakubec had asked the judge Wednesday to delay the razing of his home so his lawyer could retrieve evidence, but the judge ruled against the appeal.
Authorities have called the home a "bomb factory" and said they have to burn the home because it was too dangerous for bomb squads to re-enter.
Dozens of residents will be evacuated and part of a nearby interstate will be shut down during the burn, the San Diego Sheriff's Department said.
Numerous bomb experts and hazardous materials teams will be on site to help with the burn, the sheriff's department said.
The case began November 18 when officials found about nine pounds of hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, or HMTD, in the backyard of the home after a gardener accidentally ignited some of the material.
One expert likened the nine pounds to a large car bomb, which could have blown out the house's windows and doors and damage adjacent houses.
Inside the home, bomb crews discovered more HMTD and another type of homemade explosive: pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN).
Jakubec, a 54-year-old computer software consultant, was arrested and is being held in lieu of $5 million bail on bomb-making and bank robbery charges.
