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Lancaster man gets 16 years for homemade bomb

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Three duplexes on the 45300 block of 10th Street West in Lancaster were evacuated on Oct. 15, 2015, after deputies .discovered an explosive device in a vehicle driven by Vernon Smith. He was sentenced May 19 to 16 years in prison in connection with the incident. [photo by LUIS MEZA]
Three duplexes on the 45300 block of 10th Street West in Lancaster were evacuated on Oct. 15, 2015, after deputies discovered an improvised explosive device in a vehicle driven by Vernon Russell Smith. He was sentenced May 19, 2016, to 16 years in prison in connection with the incident. [photo by LUIS MEZA]
LANCASTER – A 52-year-old Lancaster man who was caught with an improvised explosive device that he planned to detonate at the home of his ex-girlfriend and her husband was sentenced Thursday  to 16 years in prison.

Vernon Russell Smith pleaded no contest last month to a felony count of attempting to explode a destructive device with intent to injure, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The case stems from an incident that occurred in Lancaster on Oct. 15, 2015. [Read more here.]

Smith was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy after making an illegal U-turn near 10th Street West and Avenue H-12.

The deputy discovered that Smith was in possession of an explosive device made from a petroleum liquid and gun powder, laced with staples, according to Deputy District Attorney Steven Mac.

Three duplexes in the area were evacuated as a precaution while deputies waited for the sheriff’s Arson/Explosives Detail to respond.

Further investigation determined that Smith planned to use the homemade bomb on his ex-girlfriend and her husband, according to the prosecutor.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lancaster Station.

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Previous related story: Bomb squad called after Lancaster traffic stop, 2 arrested

4 comments for "Lancaster man gets 16 years for homemade bomb"

  1. What? The old eye in the sky couldn’t prevent this either? What good is crime prevention when it has to occur on the runway as the plane is taking off.

    • The eye in the sky is a waste of $90 grand a month for a decade. $10 million bucks for nothing. It’s owned by one of Rex’s supporters. I swear everyone and everything he touches is tainted.

    • The Eye in the Sky is a joke. No other law enforcement agency is dumb enough to spend a million dollars a year on a worthless failure.

    • The only crime the eye in the sky could prevent would be if it were cancelled and never used again. Then the crime of robbing the tax payer blind for this useless political payback would end.