The State - News from July 25, 1989

A self-described former Irish Republican Army member is in custody in the Nevada County community of Grass Valley in the attempted bombing of a motel. Authorities identified the man as Gregory Brunelle, 28, a self-employed roofer who said he served for a few years with the IRA in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Officers were called to the Shady Rest Motel between Grass Valley and the town of Rough and Ready after reports of gunshots and an explosion. They found evidence of a gasoline and powder bomb exploding in the water heater shed of the motel, officials said. Witnesses told officers that Brunelle was at the scene right after the explosion. He was arrested later in a local tavern.