Rocket Enthusiast Arrested in Spa Bombing That Killed Ex-Girlfriend

Stephen Beal was taken into custody in connection with a package bomb that killed his ex Ildiko Krajnyak.

A California rocket enthusiast has been re-arrested in connection with a spa bombing that claimed the life of his ex-girlfriend.

Ildiko Krajnyak, 48, was killed last May in a bomb blast at the day spa she owned near Los Angeles. Three of her customers were also injured in the explosion that shook the neighborhood and sent 100 terrified children fleeing their preschool. 

Stephen Beal, who once dated Krajnyak, was arrested Sunday in connection with the explosion as the FBI raided his home. He faces a charge of malicious destruction of a building that included a death.

“This was a horrific, intentional attack that killed an innocent woman and severely injured two others,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna at a press conference Monday.

“Those two surviving victims will have to live with the physical and emotional scars of this attack for the rest of their lives," he added. "We will do everything possible to secure justice for those victims and to bring the perpetrator to account.”

The 59-year-old was originally arrested shortly after the explosion and charged with possessing an unregistered destructive device. However, that charge was later dropped after questions were raised about whether the device met "the statutory definition for a ‘destructive device,'" according to the U.S. attorney’s office. 

The explosion that killed Krajnyak was so powerful it tore the roof off the spa, called Magyar Kozmetika.

Neighbors say they often saw Beal building rockets in his driveway.  One neighbor told Inside Edition last year that one of Beal's rockets was as tall as a person. 

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