(The following article by Danielle McNamara was posted on the san Jose Mercury News website on August 1.)
ANTIOCH, Calif. — Bomb squad technicians detonated a pipe bomb that was found near train tracks in Antioch Monday morning.
City maintenance crews that were cleaning up the area reported the device at 8:16 this morning near the Burglington North Santa Fe Railroad trestle on Fulton Shipyard Road, Sgt. Larry Hopwood said.
Antioch and railroad police secured the scene. Photographs were taken of the bomb before and after it was detonated.
Walnut Creek bomb squad responded to what was described as a “classic homemade pipe bomb.”
The device was a few inches long, made of metal and plastic and had a fuse sticking out of the top. It was laying on top of a mound of dirt a couple of yards away from the train overpass.
Antioch Police and railroad police also responded to the scene.
At about 10:25 technicians successfully detonated the device, Hopwood said.
Police took the remains for evidence. It is unknown who left the bomb or why it was left in the location.
Rail traffic was stopped until the area was deemed safe.
The investigation is ongoing.