One Man Killed, 2nd Injured in San Ysidro Blast

One man was killed and another was critically injured Friday in the explosion of what authorities said may have been a homemade bomb in San Ysidro.

Patrick Walter Bailey, 29, a Clairemont resident, died in the explosion, which occurred shortly before 4 a.m. in a garage in the 2200 block of Enchanted Place.

Arson investigators identified Thomas Moore, 32, who lives at the house, as the other victim. He was in critical condition late Friday, undergoing surgery at UC San Diego Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Two other adults and a child who were asleep in the house when the explosion occurred were not injured. They said they did not know what the men were doing in the garage, said San Diego Fire Department Capt. Larry Carlson, an investigator with the Metro Arson Strike Team.

Investigators found very small pieces of the “improvised explosive” device that was made from thin metal, similar to an aluminum can, said Sgt. Frank Barone, also of the arson detail.

Investigators estimated the damage to the two-car garage at $20,000. The explosion caused two of the walls to bow outward, the roof to fall in, and a panel on one of the garage doors to blow out, Barone said. There was no damage to nearby residences, he said.

Alberto Serrano, who lives on Fantasy Lane behind Enchanted Place, said the blast woke his family.

“It sounded like a bomb,” Serrano said. “It was fast. It sounded like someone was trying to get in. The house was shaking.”