Wilson Orders a Theft-Prevention System for Tanks

Gov. Pete Wilson on Friday ordered the National Guard to develop a fail-safe system to assure that no tank ever again will be stolen from an armory and used to endanger innocent lives.

Wilson, acting as commander in chief of the California National Guard, issued the directive after San Diego Mayor Susan Golding demanded an investigation to find out how a troubled veteran was able to seize a 53-ton M-60 tank Wednesday evening and go on a rampage of destruction on public roadways.

Shawn Timothy Nelson, 35, a former Army tank crew member who stole the vehicle, was shot and killed in the tank by San Diego police after he refused to surrender.

In an angry letter to Wilson, Golding had deplored security at the San Diego armory as “clearly unacceptable.” She expressed worry about the safety of citizens if other military equipment also falls into the wrong hands.

Amazingly, no bystanders were killed or seriously injured during Nelson’s wild 22-minute ride along a six-mile course of San Diego streets and highways. But at least 40 vehicles were flattened or damaged, along with bridges, fire hydrants and traffic lights.

“This unconscionable act should never have occurred,” Wilson said in a statement. “We will take immediate action to ensure that an incident of this nature can never again endanger the lives of innocent civilians.”

He ordered Maj. Gen. Tandy K. Bozeman, adjutant general of the California National Guard, to determine how the theft happened and “take immediate action” to guarantee that it is not repeated.

The governor, a former San Diego mayor, promised that Bozeman would keep Golding updated on the progress of the investigation at the armory, which is home to 28 tanks regularly used for training.

Piecing evidence together, authorities said Nelson, bare-chested and wearing jeans, drove his private van to the armory, where he was apparently unchallenged. He broke into three locked tanks, finally getting the third started..

Bozeman told The Times on Friday that steps already have been taken to disable the guard’s entire inventory of track vehicles throughout California, including armored personnel carriers and certain artillery pieces.

Bozeman also said research is under way that will make tanks and other vehicles so secure against theft that even “if you are an experienced and trained crewman, you cannot crank up and move one of our vehicles.” He refused to discuss the new security system but said it will be in place soon.

Nelson tried to cross the California 163 median directly west of Sharp Memorial Hospital before the tank got hung up on the concrete barrier, leading police to investigate the possibility that he intended to damage the health care facility.

A Sharp Memorial spokeswoman disputed the contention that Nelson was headed for the medical center. “We had no reason to suspect he was coming here. He had never made any threats in person or by telephone,” she said Friday. Nelson had filed two lawsuits against the hospital.

Ingram reported from Sacramento and Kraul from San Diego.