Explosives Discovered Missing Over Holiday Weekend
Bay City News and NBC11-TV News
SAN MATEO, Calif. -- Approximately 200 pounds of high explosives have reportedly been stolen from a storage facility in San Mateo County, and federal officials Tuesday said they’re reluctant to reveal details of their ongoing investigation into the theft.
The theft occurred in the vicinity of Crystal Springs and was discovered over the holiday weekend, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
A number of agencies share use of the storage facility, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Francisco Police Department and the San Mateo County sheriff’s office, said bureau spokeswoman Marti McKee.
All of the agencies are participating in the ATF investigation that was launched Tuesday morning to try and locate the stolen explosives, McKee said.
John Torres, special agent in charge of the ATF investigation, said that recovering the explosives is “absolutely a top priority” for the bureau.
“ATF will employ all the resources available to us to track down these stolen explosives, return the explosives to safe storage, and find those responsible for the theft,” Torres said.
In general, McKee said, high explosives like dynamite require detonation, whereas lower explosives like pipe bombs typically go off after being ignited.
The bureau is requesting that anyone with relevant information contact their local police departments or call (888) ATF-TIPS.