Explosive Device Seriously Injures Vacaville Man
VACAVILLE, Calif. (CBS13) -- An elderly man was maimed after picking up a bomb hidden in a newspaper Sunday morning, setting off an explosion that shook the neighborhood and scattered debris across the block, authorities said.
Authorities evacuated about 50 homes in the neighborhood surrounding Cashel Circle and called in a bomb squad from Travis Air Force Base and agents from the FBI and ATF.
Investigators scoured the area for other devices, but did not locate any other explosives.
Andrew Neiderberger said the explosion left a crater a foot deep in his front yard after his neighbor, an unidentified man in his 80s, picked up a newspaper at around 10:20 a.m.
"Yeah, it was on my property and I'm not real happy about it," Neiderberger said, but added he doesn't believe he was the target of the device.
"It wasn't intended for me. Definitely not. Hopefully not," he said.
Neighbors rushed to the victim's aid after the blast rang out and warned other residents to avoid touching newspapers.
"From what I saw, it looked like he lost a couple fingers," said Chris Felciano.
Scraps of newspaper were scattered across the neighborhood by the blast and officials found debris more than a block away.
Residents were allowed back into most of the evacuated homes Sunday afternoon.
Officials haven't said whether they suspect the incident was a random or targeted attack.
