Police Downplay Unabomber Link in Van Bombing
A bomb exploded under a van at the home of a U.S. Forest Service ranger whose office was shattered by a pipe bomb four months ago.
Investigators said the attack late Friday may be linked to the earlier one. No one was hurt and no one claimed responsibility in either incident.
Friday’s bomb was either thrown or placed underneath the van of District Ranger Guy Pence. The vehicle was parked in the driveway of Pence’s house, said Jerry Mather, sheriff’s chief deputy for operations.
Asked about any link to the April 24 explosion that killed the head of the California Forestry Assn.--one of a string of bombings attributed to the Unabomber--Mather said, “That’s not a theory that’s being considered.”
He said the explosion, just before 10 p.m. Friday, destroyed the van and broke windows in Pence’s home. Pence was on a horseback trip, but his wife and three children were in the house.
The Forest Service office and the homes and vehicles of other agency employees were checked after the bombing. No other explosive devices were found.
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