Explosive Device in Newspaper Injures California Man

VACAVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California man who went outside to retrieve a newspaper from his driveway Sunday morning was injured when a device hidden inside the paper exploded, authorities said.

The blast at around 10:20 a.m. forced the evacuation of about 50 surrounding homes in Vacaville, which is located between San Francisco and Sacramento.

The man's daughter-in-law, Sharon Sanchez, told KGO-TV that he had cooked breakfast and was waiting for family to arrive when he walked out to get the paper. It wasn't clear if the man was the target of the device, or if the explosion was a result of a random attack, Vacaville city spokesman Mark Mazzaferro said.

The man, who authorities haven't identified, was airlifted to the University of California, Davis Medical Center. The extent of his injuries was unknown.

A bomb squad from Travis Air Force Base and officials with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the California Highway Patrol helped search the area, but no other explosive devices were found, Mazzaferro said.

Residents from most of the evacuated homes were allowed to return late Sunday afternoon, he said.