Firebombs Target Police Chief, Ex-Chief in Fremont

A firebomb exploded at the home of Fremont Police Chief Craig Steckler early Sunday as he and his family slept inside, but nobody was hurt, police said.

Later in the day, authorities found a second explosive device in front of the home of former Police Chief Robert Wasserman, now a City Council member. That one was safely disarmed.

No motive for the two incidents was known.

The 4:16 a.m. explosion at Steckler’s house burned the front porch and left a 10-foot-wide hole in the roof, department spokesman Dennis Madsen said. The subsequent fire also caused smoke damage.

A neighbor who was awake when the bomb went off saw flames on the front porch, called 911, then ran to the Steckler residence to try to douse the blaze with a garden hose. Firefighters later contained the flames to the front entry and roof, Madsen said.

The bombs were described as fairly sophisticated “improvised incendiary devices containing fluids.”

“They are treating both of these as terrorist attacks,” Madsen said, adding that the case is being classified as an attempted murder.

The bomb squad used a water charge to disable the explosives at Wasserman’s house, which leaves the device intact so investigators can test it for clues.

Firefighters said another explosion in the city did not appear to be related to the two bombs.

That one happened at 8:05 p.m., causing major structural damage to a home. A 17-year-old girl was in the house at the time but was not injured, fire spokesman Dennis Satariano said.

Investigators had not immediately determined the cause of the explosion. The two bombs found earlier in the day were not designed to cause as much damage as the explosion did, he said.

“It’s different from what we experienced earlier today,” Satariano said. “It’s been an interesting day in Fremont.”