It was just after 1 p.m. when firefighters responded to a call about an explosion above the Magyar Kozmetika Day Spa. Dong Shin had arrived early for his appointment in a nearby building when he felt the ground shake beneath him. After that, everything was a blur or action, emotion, and urgency.
What occurred that day was hard to describe, especially for the folks who had been placidly going about their business as usual. This being California, Dong and his fellow fleeing patrons thought they had been on the receiving end of an earthquake, but what they’d uncovered was far more sinister….
Earthquake
“While the ground was shaking…my body jolted and my head hit the wall,” Shin explained to reporters afterward. He described the shaking almost like an earthquake, a large and violent one. He and so many others hurried down the stairs of the building they were in two escape and it was only once they reached the ground floor that they beheld the truth.
Escaping the Building
Shin noticed two holes in the wall of the adjacent medical facility, he saw fire, smoke, and insulation popping out of them. People were running around to and fro, causing a commotion. One woman who emerged had a face covered in blood. Looking at the day spa next store, he saw could tell immediately that this was no earthquake…
Two Treatments
There were only two customers inside the Magyar Kozmetika day spa that afternoon. A Hungarian mother and her daughter had only just finished up their treatments when they walked over to pay their bill at the front desk. The spa’s proprietor and co-owner, Ildiko Krajnyak, was sorting mail nearby.
Sorting Mail
Four cardboard boxes had been laid out on the floor in front of Krajnyak, most likely deliveries of various beauty treatment accountremont for the business. The 48-year-old owner hefted one of the heavy-looking boxes onto her desk and ripped open the flaps. A moment later and the world shook. Within seconds, the entire spa was filled with fire and smoke…
The Blast
The ensuing blast shattered the windows, which sprayed glass into the adjourning parking lot. Masonry dust, black smoke, and no small amount of gore were mixed in the disturbing melange that belched from the formerly luxurious spa. Car alarms all across the neighborhood began screeching in protest.
Heavy Damage
Mr. Shin, still trying to get his bearings, saw two women emerge from the spa. Their hair was singed, their faces were full of blood, and glass stuck to their burned, raw skin. They looked as though they were in shock but even injured as they were, they would ultimately survive the blast. The same could not be said for everyone involved…
Extensive Damage
Because of the extent of her injuries, Krajnyak’s body was never officially identified by the coroner. Still, considering how close she was to the blast radius, it is presumed that she died immediately after opening the box. The working mother was survived by one son, a student at the University of Washington.
Broken Buildings
The explosion, which occurred on the first floor of a medical building in Aliso Viejo, California, caused massive damage to the surrounding building as well. Captain Tony Bommarito, a spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority, was one of the folks tasked with talking about the incident and even he agreed that this was more than it seemed on the surface…
Lacking in Evidence
Many people believed the explosion to be the result of a gas leak at first, and considering that they didn’t have the first-hand accounts of the Hungarian spa-goers, that seemed reasonable from the onset. When Bommarito and his team had a chance to check, however, they confirmed that it was not a gas leak, but something else entirely.
Early Determination
Though they hadn’t found any sort of specific explosive device in the building, all signs pointed to some sort of bomb being mailed to the former spa owner. As such, the whole situation was now being considered to be a criminal act. It was early in the investigation of course, but it was pretty clear the blast was intentional…
Confirmation
At first, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department did their best to dissuade folks from calling the blast either intentional or accidental, but eventually, even they had to admit that it looked fishy. If this was a terrorist act or some sort of revenge against Krajnyak, then they certainly didn’t understand the reasons behind it.
No Threats
At the time, there were no indications of any threats being made nor any solid leads on suspects. Even terrorism seemed unlikely and the FBI didn’t seem to be worried about any terrorist cells in that Southern California town. Further investigation was necessary and once it had been completed, the police uncovered an individual whom they had initially overlooked…
His Own Devices
Once upon a time, Stephen Beal had been Ildiko Krajnyak boyfriend and business partner. They had not been together for sometime when the blast occurred and though they still shared the business, for the most part, they had not parted on good terms according to those that knew them. A week or so after the blast, the police went to see him.
Model Rockets
A search of Beal’s home eventually turned up 130 pounds of explosives and chemical precursors in his garage. He had also apparently constructed two improvised explosive devices; basically homemade bombs. Beal explained to police that these items were things he used for his model rocket hobby. It seemed far-fetched, but not unheard of…
Explosive Hobby
Beal had always been a model rocket enthusiast though, and there was plenty of evidence to support it. With no other proof of his involvement in the attack, they simply charged him with possession of an unregistered destructive device…though the charges were eventually dropped. Even more explosive than Beal’s hobby, however, was his romance with Krajnyak.
Whirlwind Romance
Krajnyak and Beal’s relationship had gotten off the ground rather quickly. He was a part-time actor, building his own fireworks and model rockets, and she was a skincare expert. They met on an online dating site their jet-setting romance that soon spun out of control. The two lovebirds went all over the world together…
The World, Together
The two traveled to Canada, Cuba, and Portugal and before long, decided to enter into a mutually-beneficial business arrangement. Krajnyak was good at what she did, after all, and Beal had a good feeling about both the relationship and the business. He was wrong about one of those things, though.
An Explosive Breakup
The formerly happy couple broke up about a month before the blast occurred and a neighbor of there’s recalled that it had been a rather unpleasant break-up after a significant cool down. Many of their fights were directly the result of financial issues but some had to do with the “exclusivity” of their relationship in general…if you catch the meaning.
Expensive Split
The split would be an expensive one for Beal, who continued to act as though it were business as usual for the two business partners. He paid $1,500 in monthly rent for the spa space and would often have to loan Krajnyak money to cover the other costs as well. This didn’t happen every month, but enough to cause an issue…
Warrants
Though he had been released initially, Beal was arrested 10 months later after police had gathered sufficient proof of his alleged guilt. The 59-year-old was taken into custody without incident at an ATM near his home in Long Beach. He is expected to be charged formally soon but the one thing folks don’t yet understand is his motive.
The Update
Thus far, few details have been released about Beal’s methodology and motive for the explosion. Some allege that it was jealousy that made him do it, or perhaps it was the financial and emotional burden of holding on to his relationship with Krajnyak. Hopefully, all will be revealed soon. See the video of the man’s arrest below…
