Pipe Bomb Explodes At Chabad Of Santa Monica

Update 2:05 pm CST – The "pipe bomb" turned out to be a simple accident of some kind.

 

Chabad of Santa Monica from Google Maps street view.

MSNBC reports a pipe bomb has exploded at or adjacent to Chabad of Santa Monica, California. No injuries have been reported. Damage appears to be contained to a hole in the roof.

100 area residents have been evacuated.

Details will follow as soon as possible.

Update 2:05 pm CST – MSNBC reports the "pipe bomb" turned out to be a simple accident of some kind. There was no pipe bomb.

Comments

[corn popper]

Boruch Hashem no one was hurt.

[Ali]

I don't think for a minute this is a random act of anti Semitic violence against Jews. I think it's a targeted attack against Ultra Orthodox extremists.

We'll see how it plays out.

[corn popper]

extremists? are you implying that chabad is to blame?

[Ali]

Yep, that's what I'm implying. They can share the blame with Aish.

[skeptical]

I think you mean Chabad of Simcha Monica

[corn popper]

Ali,
You're a perverted sicko - of the worst sort! "Sieg Heil" mist be one of your favorite phrases.

[phillip]

NOT A BOMB

Local news just reported it was a gas
leak of some kind.

[R. Wisler]

Thank God no one was injured by this accident.

[Yussi]

Do you think the editor of Failed Messiah is behind it?

[Gevezener Chusid]

LOS ANGELES | Thu Apr 7, 2011 2:26pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police investigating a blast near a Los Angeles-area synagogue on Thursday said it was caused by a mechanical failure, and not a pipe bomb as they had originally thought.

There were no reports of damage or injury from the 6:45 a.m. blast, not far from Chabad House in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Monica.

FBI investigators and bomb technicians responded to the scene, spokeswoman Lourdes Orocho told Reuters, along with Santa Monica and Los Angeles police.

But later in the morning, Santa Monica police spokeswoman Lauralee Asch said investigators discovered the cause of the blast was a mechanical failure and not an incendiary device. She had no further details.

Chabad House posted a statement on its website about the incident, which downplayed concerns.

"During morning services today the police department came to Chabad House in response to a report of an explosion. The men that were praying did not hear or feel anything," the statement said.

"Rabbi Levitansky grabbed (one) of the new Torah scrolls so they can finish services" at a nearby location, the statement said.

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

Nope. Let's see what the city's investigators report.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Was the gas piping installed according to code? Or the frumma way? Was gas being diverted for a clandestine matzah oven, like that meshugener did in Monsey a while back? Just wondering.

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

Traffic helicopter video from KNBC-TV:
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Blast-
Leaves-Hole-in-Roof-of-Santa-Monica-Residence-119413749.html

[Ali]

Let's set the record straight Corn Popper. I am neither perverted, a sicko, or German speaking.

I merely pointed out the obvious fact that completely rational people find the Ultra Orthodox community's deceptive recruiting and retention practices, downwardly mobile mentality, welfare greed, high crime rate, oppression of women, and destruction of the families of targeted secular recruits, (for starters), that the notion of someone taking physical action against a group that they feel acts despicably should not seem far fetched, even to you.

[jay]

I hope no one in the house nor in neighboring homes was injured.

[Isa]

Sarcastically

I bet one of the mesusos was posul

[jay]

Either that or someone ate way too much cholent.

[Dr. Dave]

They were davening at 6:45 AM? Shacharit?

Are you sure this was a chabad?

Don't they usually start shacharit around 10?

[YbM]

They were davening at 6:45 AM? Shacharit?

Are you sure this was a chabad?

Don't they usually start shacharit around 10?

actually doctor, they very likely don't have a minyon of real chabadniks.
the minyan probably consists of the rabbi, 2 rabbi aids in training, 3 unfortunate males with chiyuv and the rest are just naive fools.
they call for the minyan at 6:15 - since the baal chiyuvs and the poor fools have to go to work- & the rabbi shows up 30 mins or so later as he starts his day communicating with the rebbe in queens thru the pages of likutei something or he may have misplaced the key to the community mikve.

[Ali is a nut job]

Ali, you are in deep need of psychiatric care. Wacko.

[Friar Yid]

Update to this:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/04/fbi-suspect-in-santa-monica-synagogue-explosion-linked-to-bomb-making-materials.html

The FBI said evidence found near the scene of an explosion Thursday next to a Santa Monica synagogue was linked to an "extremely dangerous" suspect now being sought in the blast.

The explosion was first believed to be an accident. But "technicians and detectives conducted further forensic analysis at the scene and, after unearthing much of the large portion of the cement found, uncovered materials indicating that the device appeared to have been deliberately constructed," the FBI said in a statement. "Investigation has determined that items found in and around the mechanism are linked to an individual by the name of Ron Hirsch, identified as a transient."

Law enforcement sources told The Times that gun powder was among the items found in the explosive device. Officials have not said exactly how they linked the evidence inside the explosive device to the suspect.

Hirsch, 60, also known as Israel Fisher, is thought to be behind Thursday morning's blast outside Chabad House on 17th Street between Broadway Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. Police described Hirsch as a transient.

"Hirsch should be considered extremely dangerous," said a police bulletin sent to other law enforcement agencies.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Ali's theory, although off target, is a lot closer to reality than we first thought.

http://santamonica.patch.com/articles/synagogue-blast
-was-probably-not-a-terrorist-act-anti-defamation
-league-director-says

[steve]

Ali may be Ron Hirsch aka Israel Fisher.

[זושא]

This cowerdly act of violence may very well have been directly influenced by the vulgar & indiscriminate slander & incitement against orthodox jewry by this ULTRA anti-orthodox self hatred site

[Jews for Dollars]

Bombs are good for business $$$$$

[Me]

Shocking. They are now calling it criminal and not an accident, but you wont update on that?

[steve]

YWN has just learned, that the suspect wanted for setting off a homemade explosive device next to a Santa Monica Chabad Shul, has just been arrested. Highly credible sources tell YWN that he was apprehended without incident, inside the “Agudah Shul” of Cleveland Heights.

Sources tell YWN that the suspect arrived at the home of the Rov on Sunday evening, asking for a place to sleep. Community activists involved in assisting people, questioned the man asking him for his name, and where he was from. All his answers were very vague, and the man refused to answer many questions – even brushing their questions off using perfect Yiddish. Instead of allowing him to sleep in the local “Hachnosas Orchim” room, they placed the man in a motel for the night, and brought him Kosher food to eat.

This afternoon, the man once again requested to stay in the Hachnosas Orchim room, but once again refused to reveal his name. Instead he said his name was “Ron Jay”.

A short while later, the community activist who had been dealing with him all day, was at home and using a computer, and suddenly came a cross a photo of the suspect while reading the news (VIN). The resemblance was shocking. The facial features were exactly as this homeless man was, just that he was missing his beard.

The man called the FBI, who in turn instructed him to call the local police department, who arrived to where the man was – which was inside the Agudah Shul. The suspect was sitting in front of an open Sefer, when he was politely asked by police to exit the Shul. He followed instructions, and after getting outside, he confirmed that his name was in fact “Ron Hirsch”.

He was arrested without further incident.

YWN has learned that the suspect’s father is a member of the Chabad Shul that he tried to blow up.

(Yehuda Drudgestein – YWN)