A violent explosion that rocked a local neighborhood Thursday
night was an attempted suicide, Hollister Police Detectives
said.
An investigation by police following the blast revealed that
Francisco Flores, 49, of 1071 Caputo Court was trying to kill
himself with the explosion.
Flores, who was found unconscious on the ground outside his
apartment, wrote a note and later told investigators he was trying
to commit suicide, police said.
A violent explosion that rocked a local neighborhood Thursday night was an attempted suicide, Hollister Police Detectives said.
An investigation by police following the blast revealed that Francisco Flores, 49, of 1071 Caputo Court was trying to kill himself with the explosion.
Flores, who was found unconscious on the ground outside his apartment, wrote a note and later told investigators he was trying to commit suicide, police said.
However, investigators did not give any indication why Flores was trying to kill himself.
Investigators said it appears Flores combined a variety of household chemicals and then touched it off with a homemade igniting device.
The blast caused extensive damage to Flores’ bedroom and sprayed shards of glass across a 100-foot radius in the parking lot next to his apartment, police said.
The explosion touched off a small fire in the apartment, but it was quickly snuffed out by members of the Hollister Fire Department. Paramedics weaved their way around shattered glass apparently blown out of the window panes to provide emergency medical care for Flores.
Flores is currently listed in stable condition at Hazel Hawkins Hospital where he is reportedly awaiting an evaluation by mental health officials, police said in a written statement.
The blast was so intense at its center that it reportedly blew a portion of the apartment wall off of the building’s foundations. There was significant structural damage to Flores’ bedroom.
The thundering boom from the explosion rocked the early evening calm on Caputo Court.
Moments after the explosion, residents on the peaceful residential cul-de-sac, flooded the emergency dispatch centers with calls reporting the blast and the smoldering flames coming from the apartment, police said.
Many Caputo Court residents were shocked by the noise from the blast.
“I shot right out of my seat when I heard the explosion,” said a 23-year-old Caputo Court resident who refused to give her name. “It was almost like something had crashed into the house.”
Police said it is unclear if criminal charges will be filed against Flores for the explosion.
