Five Molotov cocktails were found at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at the entrance to the Ocean Beach Pier were found behind a water pump enclosure. The explosives were in a plastic bucket covered with a towel.
After discovering the bombs, a private party informed lifeguards, who then called the San Diego Police Department. Officers secured the scene and dispatched the Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST).
The pier was closed from 5:45 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., according to Maurice Luque, public information officer for MAST.
Molotov cocktails are named after Vyacheslav Molotov, who first used the explosive device during the Soviet Winter War in 1939. They consist of a glass bottle partially filled with flammable liquid “” typically gasoline “” with a rag serving as a wick.
Luque did not disclose the type of flammable liquid used in this incident.
Recently, Molotov cocktails were used during the 2005 riots in France and are frequently used in Palestinian uprisings. During the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Kleibold built and threw several Molotov cocktails. None of them exploded.
According to Luque, the main concern with this type of explosive is the potential fire hazard to people.
He said that the ignition of one of the Molotov cocktails would not have destroyed the location but could have potentially caused damage, especially if people were on the pier at the time.
Western division and MAST are handling the investigation. No information on a possible suspect or suspects has been released.