Oct 11, 2008 11:09 am US/Pacific
Sheriffs Warn Explosives Thief: Be Very Careful!
SANTA ANA
Sheriffs in Orange County are putting out a warning to the person, or persons, who stole a large cache of explosives -- some of them very old and unstable -- be careful or you might go boom!
Officials say the cache was taken from a shed in the mountains of
Orange County.
"For the sake of your safety, and the sake of the safety of everyone around you, I would urge that you call authorities immediately so we can dispose of this material safely," said Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino, addressing himself directly to the burglar.
The cache of weaponry included 250 pounds of blasting powder, 75 blasting caps, and other explosives were stolen from the shed in Blackstar Canyon between last Sunday and Wednesday, Amormino said.
Amormino said the shed was at a house, and there is no mining activity
in the immediate area.
"We do not know why this individual was storing this material, but we do know that it was old and very unstable," Amormino said. The material could explode just by being moved.
The blasting powder is stored in five boxes, each weighing 50 pounds, and is in tubes that are similar in appearance to a cartridge of dynamite. Also stolen were 500 feet of fuse, coated in black tar, and 250 feet of detonating cord.
A joint statement by the O.C. Sheriff's office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fireams said, "All of these items have been stored in harsh conditions for many years. They are believed to be deteriorating rapidly and (are) extremely unstable."
Officials urged anyone with information to call 911 immediately.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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