SAN DIEGO — A Mira Mesa man accused of bombing two San Diego ATMs as part of a burglary spree has been released on $50,000 bail.
The U.S. Attorney’s office believes it has a solid case against Son Nguyen, 44.
Investigators said they found explosives at the man's home in Mira Mesa, as well as the vehicle believed to be involved in the crimes.
Surveillance photos showed a man in a mask setting off explosives in June of this year at an ATM in University City and another ATM in Rancho Bernardo. The burglar was not successful in getting any money out of the ATMs
Agents said they ran the license plate number of the black Volvo sedan seen in the surveillance photos, but it came back to a Ford van, not a Volvo.
Using license plate reading technology, officers said they tracked the Volvo to Nguyen and served a search warrant on his home in Mira Mesa.
Agents allegedly found “gas, black powder, potassium nitrate sulfur, explosive pre-cursor chemicals, (and) a paper that explains how to make black powder,” according to federal court documents. Agents also allege they also found the Ford van's license plate seen in the surveillance photos inside Nguyen's black Volvo.
Officers arrested Nguyen last month on two counts of using explosives to damage ATMs.
Now, he’s been released on bail.
“Usually in a case like this, the defendant would be detained because he or she presents a danger to the community,” said former San Diego U.S. Attorney, Charles La Bella, who is not involved in the case.
He said it’s a head-scratcher as to why Nguyen is out on $50,000 bail, as he awaits trial.
“It's not done in a regular case, and certainly not when explosives are at risk. And, the guy's a potential flight risk because he's got a phony license plate in his car,” said La Bella.
Federal court records showed prosecutors did make an oral motion in court for no bail, arguing Nguyen was a danger to the community. Judge David Leshner denied the motion, instead, granting the defendant's release on bail, with home detention, electronic monitoring, and a requirement that he live with a family member.
CBS 8 knocked on Nguyen's door in Mira Mesa. His mother answered and invited a reporter inside. Her son said he had no comment for the news media.
If convicted on all counts, Nguyen faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. He'll be back in court on October 25.
CBS 8 reached out to Nguyen's defense attorneys for comment, but we did not receive a response.