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Escondido 'bomb factory' suspect indicted on federal charges

Escondido 'bomb factory' suspect indicted on federal charges

SAN DIEGO (CNS/CBS 8) - There was court appearance Friday for the man accused of running a virtual bomb factory out of his home in Escondido. Prosecutors are dismissing state charges against 54-year-old George Jakubec, but he's now been indicted on federal charges.

In a nine-count federal indictment handed up Thursday, George Djura Jakubec, 54, was charged with illegal manufacturing of destructive devices, illegal possession of destructive devices, bank robbery, attempted bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime.

The federal indictment alleges that on or before Nov. 18, Jakubec made destructive devices, including nine detonators and 13 grenade hulls with unknown quantities of high explosives.

Jakubec was arrested last month after a gardener, Mario Garcia, 49, of Fallbrook, was injured when he stepped on something akin to a mine in Jakubec's backyard.

While searching Jakubec's residence, investigators found nine pounds of explosive materials sometimes used by terrorists, and the residence was dubbed a bomb factory by authorities. At Jakubec's Nov. 22 arraignment, the district attorney's office said the materials found inside Jakubec's home was "the largest quantity of homemade explosive compound ever found on United States soil."

Bomb experts decided that burning down the house was the safest way to dispose of the large amount of hazardous bomb-making chemicals stored there. The home is scheduled to be destroyed Dec. 8.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared San Diego County a disaster area because of the explosives, and the house is to be destroyed next week.

The federal indictment also charges Jakubec with three counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery for heists at San Diego County banks.

Jakubec allegedly took about $54,000 in bank deposits in the three robberies last year and this year, according to the indictment.

He is scheduled to make his first appearance at the U.S. District Courthouse in San Diego next week.

At his Nov. 22 arraignment at the Vista Courthouse, Judge Marshall Hockett ordered the defendant held on $5 million bail.

Information contributed by News 8 Reporter Doug Kolk.

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