SACRAMENTO (AP) -- The second attempted firebombing of buildings under construction in nearby communities northeast of Sacramento was thwarted Wednesday, and the FBI said eco-terrorism is suspected as a motive.
Construction workers discovered five firebombs early Wednesday at a business in Auburn, incendiary devices of the same manufacture as those found Dec. 27 at an upscale Lincoln subdivision a few miles away. All the devices were disabled without causing damage.
The accelerant in all eight devices was a combination of gasoline and red dye diesel fuel commonly used in farm machinery, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Keith Slotter. Timing devices on all eight devices also were similar, he said.
``We're leaning toward eco-terrorism,'' Slotter said, though no one has claimed responsibility.
Graffiti at the Lincoln homes is similar to that left at other eco-terror targets. Messages included ``U will pay,'' ``Quit destroying their homes,'' ``Evasion'' and ``Leave,'' along with the name of a short-lived 1980s rock band, 4Q, that favored crude and violent lyrics and behavior.
The bombs were found in a development at Twelve Bridges, a golf-oriented, master-planned community in Lincoln. As many as 60 homes are under construction in the area, Lincoln police said. There had been some controversy over the Auburn office complex' development because of the destruction of old trees.
Eco-terrorists have targeted new construction in ecologically sensitive areas in the past. However, similar initial suspicions last month about the largest residential arson in Maryland history proved unfounded.
The Lincoln and Auburn construction involved different contractors, both commercial and residential property, and were in different, though nearby, communities, making motives such as revenge by an employee or neighbor unlikely, Slotter said.
No graffiti or other apparent message was left at the targeted office complex being built in Auburn, in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of Sacramento and southeast of Lincoln.
No witnesses to either incident have surfaced, but the FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives asked anyone with knowledge to contact the Joint Terrorism Task Force, made up of federal, state and local law enforcement.
The devices found in the recent incidents have not been linked to other attempted arsons, Slotter said.
Two McDonald's restaurants were targeted with crude firebombs in 2003 in Chico, north of Sacramento. The Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for those attempted arsons, part of a nationwide series targeting the fast-food giant.
