Rob AriasDaniel Andreas San Diego, AKA “The Chiron Bomber,” has been arrested more than two decades after a domestic terrorist incident at the former Chiron campus in Emeryville.
Chiron was a pioneering Biotech company whose campus eventually became Novartis and is now part of the “Emery Yards” campus.
San Diego, now 46 years old, has been on the run for over two decades after being named a suspect for his alleged involvement in three bombings that occurred in 2003.
The arrest was made on Monday, November 25 near Conwy in North Wales. The National Crime Agency alongside North Wales Police apprehended San Diego.
2003 Incident Detailed
On August 28, 2003, two ammonium nitrate pipe bombs with mechanical timers exploded approximately one hour apart at Chiron. The timing of the first detonation at 2:55 a.m. was believed to be coordinated to target first responders of the first bomb.
Retired Emeryville Police officer Tracer Borden was the first to respond to the call before it was handed over to the ATF.
A month later on September 26, 2003, another bomb strapped with nails exploded at Shaklee, a nutritional products corporation located in Pleasanton.
There were fortunately no injuries from the three blasts and only caused minor property damages.
San Diego is thought to have targeted Chiron and Shaklee because they were both clients of New Jersey based Huntingdon Life Sciences who perform animal testing on their products including primates and beagles (testing required by the FDA).
Days prior to the incident, Chiron alerted their staff to be vigilant after executives were harassed and targeted with vandalism.
San Diego Evades Authorities
San Diego, born in Berkeley and raised in San Rafael, lived a strict vegan lifestyle and was believed to have ties to two radical animal rights groups including Animal Liberation Brigade and Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty. The Animal Liberation Brigade claimed responsibility for the bombings via emails to reporters and postings on a website called Biteback Magazine.
After realizing he was being tailed by the FBI, San Diego fled to what is thought to be Central America. He was officially named as a suspect by the FBI in 2004.
In 2009, San Diego was added to the FBI’s most wanted terrorist list alongside notorious figures such as Osama Bin Laden. At the time, he was the first Domestic Terrorist to be included on this list adding a $250K reward for his capture.
The FBI issued several updates on San Diego’s suspected whereabouts over the years including Hawaii and most recently Massachusetts.
Wales Arrest
San Diego, proficient in computer technology through his profession as a programmer, was able to stay one step ahead of them, until now.
The FBI published an update on their website acknowledging his capture and tagging the included photos as “captured.”
“Daniel San Diego’s arrest after more than 20 years as a fugitive for two bombings in the San Francisco area shows that no matter how long it takes, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable,” FBI Director Christopher Wray provided in a statement. “There’s a right way and a wrong way to express your views in our country, and turning to violence and destruction of property is not the right way.”
San Diego appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday and now faces extradition back to the U.S. where he would face charges.
