ESCONDIDO, Calif., Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Nine pounds of explosives were found in a Southern California home after an explosion, authorities said.
The homemade compound hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, a powder that looks like flour, was found in Mason jars in the backyard of a home near Escondido, San Diego County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Officers went to the property Thursday when landscaper Mario Garcia scuffed his foot on the ground and set off some of the compound that had fallen there. The resulting explosion injured his left eye and arm.
George Jakubec, renter of the property, was then arrested on suspicion of unlawfully owning explosives and possessing and manufacturing destructive materials. He is to be arraigned Monday.
Bomb experts put the jars in holes dug in the ground Friday and detonated them. They did not know if the compound would explode -- it did not -- so the southbound lanes of Interstate 15 were closed for three hours.
Authorities say Jakubec made the explosive, but his motive is a mystery.
Saturday evening, investigators were deciding when to re-enter the house, which contained acids, bases and solvents.
HMTD has been used by suicide bombers and other terrorists.
