They were running a sting to try to catch copper thieves, which is apparently a thriving new business for criminals, when they found a bomb maker among the many other criminals selling their wares on the black market. From SF Gate:

Steven Edward Gilbuena, 45, of Fremont allegedly brought in seven homemade bombs of varying sophistication, several of which were designed to be detonated remotely via a cell phone, Santa Clara police Lt. Mike Sellers said. The bombs were gunpowder-based, and one was configured to fit inside a toy, Sellers said.

Gilbuena and his girlfriend were arrested in October, and investigators found two more bombs in his home, which were detonated there, police said.

The article seems to gloss over the man who makes Improvised Explosive Devices suspiciously similar to the ones used in Iraq and makes no effort to ascertain whether or not there is a thriving market for bombs in San Francisco, information I’d assume the public would like to know.

This Oakland Tribune story from October of last year, detailing the arrest this investigation led to, contains more information which is deeply disturbing. All evidence points to Gilbeuna being a bomb maker by profession with a dangerous clientèle:

“This destructive device appeared to have been designed for remote activation by dialing the number of the cell phone … and initiating an explosion,” a San Jose police sergeant wrote in his report. “This type of IED is intended to be command detonated at a moment of opportunity when a victim is within range.”

Such improvised devices, he added, are not manufactured to any standard, and in Gilbuena’s case there allegedly were no safety precautions taken for even simple transportation. Transporting them was highly dangerous, the sergeant said in the report.

Police noted in the documents that because of the extensive explosives found, Gilbuena is probably “actively involved in bomb making” and authorities expect to find other devices in their ongoing investigation of the couple.

Gilbuena told police he did not know what was in the containers they found in his car.

Also in the car, police found a grocery sack with receipts detailing other components purchased in recent months from Fry’s Electronics, Orchard Supply Hardware and Radio Shack that are commonly associated with bomb building. The bag was mysteriously labeled: “Receipts Reg. The Boys.” Authorities did not elaborate.

Officials also cannot say what Gilbuena was allegedly building the devices for.

So are “The Boys” a local gang out to out gun some rivals or do they have a more worrisome motive in mind? Street gangs have been able to paralyze Latin American cities in recent years with a combination of firepower and savagery, it’s only a matter of time before the gangs here try their hand at taking over urban centers through force.