Bomb Explodes as Man Reaches for Sunday Paper

A pipe bomb hidden in an elderly California man's Sunday newspaper exploded as he reached to pick it up near his doorstep.

The Northern California man, who suffered "certainly serious, but not life-threatening injuries," was airlifted to a hospital, Vacaville city spokesman Mark Mazzaferro told the CNN.

For hours after the explosion, bomb squad experts searched for other devices in the neighborhood. Dozens of neighbors were evacuated during the search, Mazzaferro said.

Investigators were questioning neighbors and relatives to determine why the man may have been targeted by a bomb, he said. It was not immediately known if the victim was targeted.

"Neighbors are telling authorities that an unidentified man in camouflage was seen in the neighborhood last night," ATF spokesman Marc Willis told CNN.

A bomb squad from Travis Air Force Base and federal investigators combed the neighborhood with explosives-sniffing dogs in the Brown's Valley section of the town, but they found no other explosive devices, Mazzaferro said.

Residents told local Channel 10 news of their fear at their otherwise quiet neighborhood being targeted in such an attack.

"It's a little scary. It makes you want to have some type of home security to check to see who is stopping by your home at night," neighborhood resident David Wheeler told News 10.

Police confirmed that the bomb exploded around 10am. It was not yet known whether it was set off by being picked up or whether it was remotely detonated.

Depending on the facts of the case and any potential suspect, the authorities could prosecute this case as an act of terrorism.

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