Residential explosion leads authorities to massive cache of homemade explosive compounds

Prosecutor says man's Escondido home was a 'bomb factory.'

Gardener hospitalized after stepping in powdery substance that triggered explosion.

In a little noticed report over the weekend, a gardener was in serious condition after triggering an explosion when he stepped in a powdery substance on the grounds.

On Saturday, over 9 pounds of the explosive compound Hexamethylene Triperoxide Diamine (HMTD) were discovered on the Escondido property grounds, and successfully detonated in the backyard with the help of a remote-controlled robot. The detonations led to weekend shut-downs of near-by Interstate 15, and evacuations of some area homes.

North County Timesreports that the home's owner was arrested after the gardener was injured, "Sheriff's deputies arrested the home's tenant, George Djura Jakubec, 54, on suspicion of illegally manufacturing and possessing explosives, sheriff's officials said Thursday."

"Jakubec, who identifies himself on a LinkedIn Web page as a computer software consultant, is scheduled for arraignment at the Vista courthouse Monday. He is being held on $100,000 bail."

"The suspect lives with his wife, who has not been arrested, but even after interviewing her, investigators don't know why Jakubec was making large amounts of explosive, Caldwell said."

HMTD is the explosive found in the dwelling of terrorism suspects who in 2006 plotted to detonate liquid explosives on at least 10 airplanes traveling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada, and was possibly used in the July 7, 2005 London bombings.

San Diego news reported today that Jakubec, the man accused of "robbing banks and having the largest cache of homemade explosive compounds ever found in one spot on U.S. soil was ordered by a judge Monday to remain in custody on $5 million bail." Investigators with the FBI, ATF and San Diego County Sheriff's Department also came across other explosive compounds known by the acronyms of ETN and PETN, the prosecutor said.

Jakubec, 54, pleaded not guilty to 12 felony counts of possessing destructive devices and 14 counts of possessing ingredients to make destructive devices, along with two bank robbery charges.

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