Man arrested for allegedly planting explosive device next to San Jose business

Police arrested a man who allegedly planted an improvised explosive device at a business in San Jose last week, authorities said Tuesday.

San Jose police said officers responded at 10:06 a.m. on July 3 to a report of a bomb threat at a business in the 1300 block of Ridder Park Drive just north of E. Brokaw Road in North San Jose. The threat was made by the suspect who told police he had planted the explosive device behind the business, police said.

Officers arrived to find a suspicious device that appeared to be an improvised explosive. A police bomb squad and tactical unit responded and determined the item was an incomplete but viable explosive device. Police said the bomb squad rendered the device safe and a search of the area turned up no additional devices.

 
Investigators identified the suspect as 56-year-old San Jose resident Felix Arnaz. Later that day, officers located Arnaz in his vehicle in the area of Ruby Avenue and Aborn Road in East San Jose and arrested him.

As a precaution, nearby businesses were evacuated as bomb squad officers searched his vehicle for additional explosive devices, but none were found.

Arnaz was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail for multiple charges related to the possession of a destructive device.

Anyone with information about this case or similar cases was asked to contact Detective Madera #4857 of the San José Police Department Assaults Unit via email: 4857@sanjoseca.gov or 408-277-4161.