Pipe Bomb Discovered in Car at Irvine Gas Station

Irvine police officers made an unexpected discovery at a Chevron gas station in Orange County on Tuesday evening, September 23. A passerby reported seeing a drug pipe being used by two men inside a car, prompting the officers to approach and take them into custody.

While searching the vehicle, which belonged to a family member of one of the arrested men, the officers found a pipe bomb in the center console. The Irvine police department immediately contacted the Orange County Sheriff's Department's bomb squad for assistance.

The bomb squad determined that the device was legitimate and rendered it safe. However, the specific method used to disarm the bomb was not disclosed.

One of the arrested men, a 56-year-old from Simi Valley, is facing potential charges related to the pipe bomb. The other man, a 48-year-old from Corona, had an outstanding warrant in Riverside County. It remains unclear why the pipe bomb was present in the vehicle or if the men intended to use it.

Officer Ziggy Azarcon, a spokesperson for the Irvine police department, expressed gratitude towards the community member who reported the suspicious activity, stating 'We're glad that a community member saw something suspicious and gave us a call.'