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I-15 to shut down; shelter to open for evacuees
Map of traffic plan during burn
December 7, 2010 (Escondido) – Final preparations are being made to destroy bombs and other hazardous materials iat 1954 Via Scott by burning down the home and its deadly contents on Thursday. (Note: Earlier news reports stated that the burn was set for Wednesday. Thursday is now the correct date.) Residents in the vicinity are being notified to evacuate or, in some cases, shelter-in-place during the burn.
George Djura Jakubec appeared Dec. 6 at the U.S. District Courthouse, where he pled not guilty of making and possessing destructive devices, and to robbing three banks and trying to rob a fourth. Federal indictments have been handed down and the state dropped its charges to enable federal prosecutors to take over the case.
Jakubec is accused of having the largest stash of homemade explosives ever found on U.S. soil include numerous materials that have been utilized by Al Qaeda terrorists and suicide bombers. Authorities have not revealed Jakubec’s motive. Documents reveal that in addition to explosive materials, grenades and detonators, authorities found guns, facial masks and gloves at the scene. Computers were also reportedly seized from the residence that he was renting on Via Scott, but the interior was deemed too hazardous for investigators and the plan was formulated to destroy the home, along with whatever remains inside.
ECM news partner 10 News reports that Jakubec’s attorney said his client is “despondent” over losing everything that he and his wife, Marina, owned. The stash in the home was discovered after a landscaper, Mario Garcia of Fallbrook, stepped on explosive material in the backyard; the detonation seriously injured Garcia. Deputy District Attorney Terri Perez told a judge on Nov. 22 that Jakubec had converted his home to a “bomb factory.”
Authorities have spent the last few days making preparations to try and protect neighboring homes by building a fence and cutting down trees and shrubs around the home. Firefighters are setting up a command post a block away from the residence. County hazardous materials experts and the bomb squad have also been on site. The County Air Pollution Control District has installed a portable weather station on the roof of a nearby fire station to monitor wind and other climate conditions. Authorities will be patrolling the evacuated area to prevent looting.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared the area a state disaster zone and the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control will fund removal of all debris from the site, except the slab.
Weather permitting, the burn is slated to begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, December 9. A portion of I-15 in Escondido will be shut down in both directions during the burn.
Those within the evacuation zone are ordered to leave the area and bring medications, important documents, cash, and items they wish to assure are preserved such as photos, heirlooms and jewelry. All evacuees should find appropriate care facilities for their pets to assure their safety.
The Red Cross has set up an Evacuation Center at Clarke Field House on the campus of Cal State San Marcos. For more information, call the Red Cross at 1-858-309-1200. Those with special needs for transportation or equipment should contact Don Rawson at (760)839-5404.
Residents who are not within the evacuation area, but who live within the designated shelter-in-place zone, have the option of evacuating to the Red Cross facility or elsewhere, or staying indoors in their homes. Those that opt to shelter in place should close and lock all windows and doors, turn off all ventilation systems including the heater, air conditioning or whole house fan, avoiding using ventilation fans in kitchen and bath, don’t use the clothes dryer, and close fireplace dampers. (If you have a fire in the fireplace, let it burn down before closing dampers.)
After 3 p.m. on Thursday, residents should call 211 or listen to local radio or TV stations for further instructions. Residents are asked to avoid calling 911 except in emergencies.
For a map of evacuation and shelter-in-place zones, and for additional information and updates, visit www.sdcountyemergency.com.
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