Long Beach Man Stephen Beal Arrested in Connection to 2018 Aliso Viejo Explosion That Killed Ex-Girlfriend

POSTED 3:50 PM, MARCH 3, 2019, BY JOHN FENOGLIO AND ASSOCIATED PRESS, UPDATED AT 11:12PM, MARCH 3, 2019

A Long Beach man was arrested Sunday in connection with an explosion that killed his ex-girlfriend at her day spa last year, the FBI said.

Stephen Beal was arrested without incident in connection with the May 15 bombing that killed Ildiko Krajnyak in her Orange County spa, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.

Beal, 59, had been arrested on suspicion of possessing explosives after the bombing last year but was released after prosecutors dropped the charge, saying they had questions about whether material found in Beal's house met the legal definition of a "destructive device."

At the time, investigators said they found two improvised explosive devices, three firearms and more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms) of explosive material during a search that Beal allowed of his house.

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FBI: Meticulous work links deadly bomb to California suspect

By AMY TAXIN and BRIAN MELLEY
March 4, 2019

ORANGE, Calif. (AP) — A California man was arrested in a spa explosion that killed his ex-girlfriend last year after authorities painstakingly analyzed remnants of a bomb they traced to the suspect, his home and car, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Stephen Beal, 59, had been arrested shortly after the bombing last year for investigation of possessing explosives, but was freed when prosecutors questioned whether material found at his home met the legal definition of a “destructive device.” After further tests, Beal was arrested Sunday and charged with malicious destruction of a building that included a death, a charge that could carry a life sentence.

Ildiko Krajnyak, 48, was killed and two female clients were severely wounded May 15 when she opened a box that erupted in a fiery explosion at the spa in the city of Aliso Viejo, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Los Angeles, investigators said.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 4, 2019

Long Beach Man Arrested on Federal Charges for Bombing Aliso Viejo Spa that Killed Ex-Girlfriend

ANTA ANA, California – Law enforcement authorities associated with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force on Sunday arrested a Long Beach man on federal charges stemming from an explosion last year that destroyed a day spa in Aliso Viejo, killed the man’s former girlfriend, and caused serious injuries to two spa clients.

Stephen William Beal, 59, was arrested pursuant to a federal criminal complaint filed on Friday that charges him with malicious destruction of a building resulting in the death of Ildiko Krajnyak.

“This was a horrific intentional attack that killed an innocent woman and severely injured two others who will live with the physical and emotional scars for the rest of their lives,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “We will do everything we can to obtain justice for these victims and hold the perpetrator accountable.”

“The FBI and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, with the assistance of many JTTF partners, brought full forensic resources to bear on the case in order to process an enormous amount of evidence recovered from the crime scene and related searches,” said Paul Delacourt, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Though Mr. Beal has been charged, our work will continue to ensure justice is done in this case for the victims who continue to endure the loss and the pain of this horrific attack.”

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