Ex-Boyfriend Of Aliso Viejo Explosion Victim Charged: US Attorney

ALISO VIEJO, CA —Editor's Note: Federal prosecutors dropped a charge against Stephen Beal on his possession of an unregistered explosive device. He was released Sunday.

A Long Beach actor whose ex-girlfriend was killed in an Aliso Viejo explosion Tuesday, has been charged on suspicion of possessing of an incendiary device, spokesperson Thom Mrozek from the United States Attorney's office said. Though Stephen Beal, 59, was not charged in connection with the homicide, he will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Thursday, Mrozek said.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department has stated they are still investigating any connection that Beal may have to the deadly explosion which killed 48-year-old Ildiko Krajnyak.

According to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court in Santa Ana, (read full criminal complaint here) investigators who searched the Long Beach home of Stephen Beal, 59, found "two completed improvised explosive devices and three firearms," and none of them were registered.

Beal appeared briefly in federal court Thursday afternoon. Another hearing was scheduled for Monday, when attorneys will discuss bail and scheduling.

According to neighbors, Beal and Ildiko Krajnyak dated, and that he was an investor in her day spa. Facebook photos show Krajnyak and Beal traveling the globe together as recently as April of this year.

The man's neighbors told Patch he was dejected over a recent breakup and is known in the neighborhood for building rockets and tinkering on projects in his garage. The death of his first wife in a freakish furniture-moving accident has long been the topic of speculation, one neighbor said.

The FBI has said investigators are still working to piece together the events leading up to Tuesday's explosion at Krajnyak's Aliso Viejo spa.

Mysterious Death Of First Wife

Beal's first wife died 10 years ago, according to neighbors accounts to reporters. The circumstances for her death were a "furniture moving mishap." Neighbor Don Westerhoff told reporters that a heavy cabinet was being moved upstairs when it slipped from Beal's grip, slid down the stairs and slammed into his wife.

Westerloff recalled a conversation with Beal after the incident. Westerloff repeated Beal's words to reporters:

"It must have 'slipped out of (Beal's) hands and took her downstairs faster than she could run backwards, (he guessed.'"

NBC4 reported that Beal's wife was injured in that incident, but didn't die until three weeks later when she returned to the hospital with worsening symptoms. She went back to a hospital due to repeated vomiting, and died soon after.

According to Los Angeles County Coroner's records, the cause of death was pancreatitis, electrolyte imbalance and other undetermined factors with a final note of chronic lead intoxication. The station reported that Beal had been "uncooperative" with doctors during his wife's treatment. The case status in this incident is considered closed. According to Los Angeles County Coroner's records, Christine Beal was 48 when she died March 8, 2008.

Beal was forced to sue the life insurance company for benefits after her death and later was paid $500,000.

Other neighbors described Beal as well liked. Neighbor "Mushroom" Montoya told reporters he was shocked at the focus on Beal.

"We can't fathom he would do anything mean, or nasty, or anything else," Montoya said. "He used to make rockets about as big as I am. He would do it in the driveway by his garage. He'd go out to the desert and fire them off."

Beal, who describes himself as an actor on his Facebook page, has a series of minor acting credits, including the TV movie "Samuel Adams," short films and productions.

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Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Explosive Device - Beal COMPLAINT by Ashley Ludwig on Scribd

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Previous coverage:

• Charges Dropped, Ex-Boyfriend Of Aliso Viejo Bombing Victim Freed
• Actor And Ex-Boyfriend Of Woman Killed In CA Explosion Arrested
• 'Suspicious' Aliso Viejo Explosion Kills 1, Triggers Evacuations
• 5 Things To Know About The Aliso Viejo Explosion
• Trabuco Canyon Woman Killed In Deadly Explosion

Photos: Amy Spurgeon Hoffman, Paige Austin. City News Service contributed to this report.