A pipe bomb that exploded in a Kearny Mesa hotel last week had been tucked inside an ice machine alcove, and poor construction of the device prevented a larger blast, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
New details about the explosion in a Four Points Sheraton Hotel were revealed during a San Diego Superior Court arraignment of the two men suspected of hiding the bomb, which blew up about 8:30 a.m. Feb. 24.
The hotel, on Aero Drive near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, was about 80 percent occupied when the bomb went off.
Tips from the public helped investigators zero in on Hans Jurgen Sarda and Grover Preston Everett, who were arrested earlier this week.
Sarda, 30, and Everett, 39, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to three felony charges, including possessing, exploding and igniting a destructive device. Each faces the potential of up to seven years in prison, Deputy District Attorney Christina Eastman said.
Judge Carlos Armour agreed to increase each man’s bail to $400,000.
Eastman did not mention a possible motive for setting the bomb, but laid out some of the investigative findings — including an allegation that materials were bought using a gift card at a Lowe’s.
Eastman said video surveillance caught two men enter the hotel through a broken staff door entrance at roughly 8:15 a.m.
Hotel staffers saw the pair near an alcove with an ice machine and vending machine, Eastman said. The bomb was tucked between the two machines.
About six minutes after they entered the building, the two men left, the prosecutor said. Four minutes later, the bomb exploded.
Investigators found a 3-inch by 1-inch steel-threaded pipe containing powder loads, Eastman said. The loads look like .22-caliber ammunition and contain gunpowder. One of the powder loads was lodged in the ceiling above the blast site.
The explosion caused minor property damage, “but this is largely due to the device being poorly constructed,” Eastman said.
The end caps failed, she said, releasing pressure from an end “rather than building up inside the device and causing a larger explosion,” the prosecutor said.
Sarda and Everett were arrested earlier this week when police pulled them over in Everett’s car.
At the time, Sarda had powder loads on him, according to Eastman. Police also found powder loads and possible methamphetamine in Everett’s car.
The prosecutor said surveillance video caught two men buying metal pipes and end caps like those used for the bomb. The purchase was made at a Lowe’s about 20 minutes before the suspects arrived at the hotel.
A search of the home were Sarda lives with his parents and his 6-year-old son turned up bomb-making materials in the child’s room.
According to the prosecutor, Sarda is facing a second case in East County, involving felony domestic-violence related charges.
She said Everett was convicted in November for shooting out the windows of the San Diego Police Museum with a BB gun, and appears to be on probation for that.
Sign up to get Breaking News email alerts
Get alerts on severe weather, road closures and other major breaking news.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Anthony Ray named interim sheriff of San Diego
‘It’s enlightening’: San Diego police get extra training on non-biased policing and LGBTQ awareness
Police looking for two armed robbers after home invasion in Jamacha-Lomita
Man, 22, dies after he was found unresponsive in San Diego jail cell
$85M jury verdict for family of man who died after Santee arrest
After 20 years on the bench, former presiding Judge Lorna Alksne retires from Superior Court
Driver accused of crashing in to La Mesa building pleads guilty to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated
Daniel Joseph Corona, 62, will be sentenced in June in connection with the death of 41-year-old Braden Jockmyhn, a worker an at adult daycare center in La Mesa
Illumina launches lawsuit against Guardant Health claiming misappropriation of trade secrets
Guardant counters that the lawsuit was filed as retaliation for raising concerns with antitrust regulators over Illumina’s Grail acquisition.
3rd Biden nominee confirmed to San Diego federal court
The Hon. Ruth Bermudez Montenegro had served as a magistrate judge in Imperial County since 2018
Rancho San Diego man admits involuntary manslaughter in husband’s force-feeding death
Thomas Zupner, 67, was originally charged with murder in 2019 death of dentist Blake Synowski, 62.
Border Patrol sued over San Diego man’s shooting death in Campo
The lawsuit states Silvestre Estrada Vargas was unarmed and presented no danger when agents opened fire on his car
Chula Vista man files class-action case against Chrysler for possible exploding minivan
In recall notice last month, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles warned almost 20,000 consumers not to drive the plug-in vans.
3 people rescued after fall from border wall in Otay Mesa
Thermometers get red in the face as temperatures soar across San Diego County
Police arrest suspect in Otay Mesa hit-and-run crash that killed woman
‘It was excellent teamwork:’ Oceanside police track down woman accused in Oregon homicide
Shots fired in College Area early Wednesday, bullet holes found in building
Jury awards former San Diego city prosecutor $3.9 million in wrongful termination lawsuit
Expert: COVID BA.2 variant likely widely spreading in San Diego County
Police: Man dead after BASE jump from high-rise in University City
Late scrambling in San Diego races gives Campbell stiff re-election test, leaves last GOP seat in jeopardy
Madeleine Albright, 1st female US secretary of state, dies
Opinion: San Diego trash pickup is something taxpayers pay for. Leave the People’s Ordinance alone.
U.S. formally accuses Russia of war crimes as humanitarian crisis in Ukraine deepens
Aztecs football’s Spring Game offers early glimpse of 2022 team
Privacy Policy Terms of Service Sign Up For Our Newsletters