iStock/Thinkstock(ONTARIO, Calif.) — A 49-year-old man is in custody for allegedly detonating two explosive devices in a Southern California Sam’s Club on Thursday, police said.
Each device detonated at the Sam’s Club in Ontario — about 40 miles east of Los Angeles — and ignited a small fire, the Ontario Police Department said.
“Sam’s Club employees acted quickly and used fire extinguishers to put out the flames,” police said.
Police said no one was injured.
Witness Norman Svikss described the explosion as a “low sound” with no smoke, reported ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles.
“Then the employees start running around and then they slowly said, ‘Hey, we have to evacuate the building,’ because it’s fire or something,” Svikss said.
The suspect, Hugo Gonzalez of Fontana, allegedly fled the scene and was pulled over after a short pursuit, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Gonzalez was then taken into custody. Police said Thursday that a motive was unclear and it appeared he acted alone.
Authorities found more materials similar to those used in the devices in the car Gonzalez was driving, police said. Authorities also responded to an apartment in Fontana — which is near Ontario — believed to be associated with Gonzalez.
It was not immediately clear if Gonzalez had legal representation.
Both the Sam’s Club and Gonzalez’s home have since been cleared, Ontario police spokesman William Russell told ABC News Friday.
A Sam’s Club spokesperson told ABC News in a statement, “We are relieved that an arrest has been made in this case and thankful that no one in our club was injured. The local authorities have done an outstanding job. We will continue to assist law enforcement however we can and are referring all requests for additional information to them.”
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