While acknowledging that they can be dangerous, Orange County Sheriff’s Department authorities are continuing to investigate the acid bomb’s that were found in Rossmoor on Sunday, as pranks and not a hate crime.
While acknowledging that they can be dangerous, Orange County Sheriff’s Department authorities are continuing to investigate the acid bomb’s that were found in Rossmoor on Sunday, as pranks and not a hate crime.
Five bottles were found near the 3000 block of Main Way on Sunday morning at about 7 a.m., when a resident called sheriffs about suspicious bottles that were left in front of her house. Three of the bottles were found in front of the home of an African American woman, which has prompted concern that her home was targeted specifically. One of the devices was in a tree across the street from the home.
Still, OCSD officials have said the incident is being investigated as a prank.
As of Wednesday morning, OC Sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino said there had still be no updates that would lead them to believe it was a hate crime. The OCSD continues to investigate the incident.
One of the devices exploded while deputies were on the way to investigate, but the other four were safely disposed of by the OCSD bomb squad. The bombs were described as 16 ounce plastic bottles. They usually contain household chemicals that cause the air inside to expand until the plastic explodes. They can cause injuries to hands and body parts that are near, as well as eyes and eardrums.
The reference to it being a hate crime surfaced when the Rossmoor Predator Management team sent out an e-mail bulletin to residents, calling it a hate crime. The OCSD was concerned about the wording since they had not classified it that way and contacted them by e-mail to clarify.
RPMT representative David Lara said that he believed the incident could be classified as a felony and therefore was more than a prank.
“It is a potential felony and I wouldn’t call a felony a prank,” Lara said.
However, Lara also said that rather than argue over the semantics of classifying the crime, he wanted to focus on helping the OCSD in catching the perpetrators. Depending on who gets arrested, will give more credence to their motives, Lara said.
He also said that he and neighbors are trying to reach out to the victim, who he said was very shaken by the incident. He also said, regardless of the terminology, he is confident that the OCSD is giving the crime the proper attention.
“I have confidence with what the sheriff has done,” Lara said.
