OXNARD : Homemade Bomb Explodes in Alley

A homemade bomb exploded in an Oxnard alley Tuesday afternoon, sending a spray of acid across the ground and a nearby wall, officials said.

The small explosion, caused when chemicals were mixed in a two-liter bottle, startled residents on the 1400 block of Juniper Street in south Oxnard.

“It was so loud it made us jump,” said Rod Grant, a longtime resident. “I assumed it was kids playing around, but when I went to pick up the bottle, my hands started to sting.”

Grant did not seek treatment for his exposure to the chemicals, and no one else was believed injured in the blast.

Oxnard fire officials dispatched a hazardous materials squad to the scene to dispose of the acid. Officials took samples of the chemicals and later identified the substance as nitric acid.

“It was the type of thing someone probably read about in a book,” Fire Capt. Robin Miller said. “This is pretty dangerous stuff though. If it goes off at the wrong time, you could get serious burns or lose your vision.”

Neighbors said they have heard similar explosions in the past few days but had not reported them to the police.

“We keep hearing this, ‘Boom! Boom!’ but when we look to see what it is, nobody’s around,” Juniper Street resident Reina Weight said.

“We’re telling our kids to stay out of the alley,” Weight added. “Whatever it is, it looks like it’s dangerous.”