Fairfield Man Indicted in Car Bombing

SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Daniel Richard Garcia, 30, of Fairfield, with malicious use of explosive materials, possession of a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence, and two counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device.

The indictment alleges that on May 27, 2011, Garcia detonated a pipe bomb causing damage to a car and apartment complex in Fairfield. According to publicly filed documents in the case, a second bomb was found during a June 16 search of Garcia’s house. Garcia was arrested on June 18, 2011, after a several hour stand-off with a Fairfield Police Department SWAT team.

This case is the product of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fairfield Police Department, and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office with assistance from the FBI and the Yolo County Bomb Squad. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Anderson is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Garcia faces a statutory penalty of five to 40 years in prison for malicious use of explosive materials, 30 years to life in prison for possession of a destructive device during a crime of violence, and 10 years for possession of an unregistered destructive device. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.