Yucaipa Deputies Investigate Chemical Bombs Left in Mailboxes, Front Yards

Update 4:20 p.m. The current rash of chemical bombs in Yucaipa began Thursday Oct. 4 and continued with at least one new report each day following, Friday Oct. 5 through Sunday Oct. 7, Detective Dan Whitten of the sheriff's Yucaipa Station said in a phone interview.

Asked for specific locations, Whitten said he's been busy checking leads and reports from the weekend.

"They've been kind of all over," Whitten said. "Sunday was the last day."

Posted 3:40 p.m. Several chemical bombs made from household items have been left over the past week in mailboxes and front yards around town in Yucaipa, deputies and sheriff's Bomb and Arson detectives said Tuesday.

"These bombs often contain a chemical cleaner and are placed inside of a plastic beverage container with tin foil, which contributes to the chemical reaction," Yucaipa Station personnel advised in a statement.

"The bombs generally take a short time to go off but in some cases they fail to explode until the bomb is picked up, further agitating it, causing it to explode in the unsuspecting person's hands," the statement said.

"No injuries have been reported in association with these chemical bombs and there have been no suspects identified at this time."

The statement did not disclose times, dates or locations of the bomb incidents.

"The Yucaipa Police Department would like to caution residents not to touch, pick up or kick bottles filled with unknown fluids or objects, to get a safe distance from the object, and call 911 immediately," the statement said.

Yucaipa contracts with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for its police services.

Anyone with more info was urged to contact Yucaipa deputies at (909) 790-3105.

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