Search for the onearmed man. Yes. Well, we found indian joe. Thats all true . Oh, yeah, thats all true. What else would we find . Theres a maniac out there. Im lester holt, and this is dateline. Heres Josh Mankiewicz with a story of deadly intent. Youre looking at the life of the hoagland family of san diego played out in brief. Moments stretching across the years from the prosaic to the profound. Thats the mom, connie. Just after she gave birth to son jonathan. Look over here, guy, one, two, three. Good one. Here he is, six years later, after losing a tooth. Hey, jonathan, thats a great smile you have there. Reporter this is oldest daughter jill learning to play golf. Thats a nice one, jill. Reporter and this is her little sister jaclyn. Today the kids are grown. Jill has a child of her own. Jaclyn is married and jonathan has graduated high school. And looking back, the childhood they describe is one of stability and routine. Just normal happy family, i say it would be. Mmhmm. We go to church on sundays. Wed have movie nights or Family Vacation that we had taken, usually disneyland, which is our favorite. Everything was just as a family. Everything was perfect. They loved each other and they had a great marriage. Exactly. The patriarch of the hoagland family, larry, was a leader in their church and a professional photographer who can be heard off camera gently directing his children through these precious kodak moments. Dad thats good. Keep going. I always remember getting sick of it because i just wanted to have fun and we always had to pause and take a picture, which kind of got annoying after a while, but looking back, nice to see the picture, i guess. The mom, connie, loved being with her kids so much that, as they grew older, she found a job taking care of toddlers at this day care home. But on september the 23rd, 2010, as connie was leaving her job for the day, her life and family were quite literally blown apart. A thunderous explosion rocks an east county neighborhood. The first thing i said to myself when i heard the explosion was oh, my goodness, what was that . Reporter Teddy Williams is the owner of the day care home. So i ran out the gate. I come to this point and i stopped because connies car is rolling at full speed and smacked into my van. I ran around her truck, and this is where i found connie, right here, on her side in the street. Reporter Connie Hoagland was her best friend. Connie was laying on her side curled up in a ball. I rolled her over. There was glass, there was shrapnel, there was shards of metal everywhere. Everywhere. Reporter teddy knew all the hoagland familys cell phone numbers and she was the one who broke the news. I was driving, and she said that there was an explosion and my moms truck blew up. So i immediately pulled over, stopped, and called my dad, asked him whats going on. What do we do . Reporter what did he say . He said, i just heard, too. I dont really know all the details. Reporter the hoagland family gathered at Uc San Diego Medical Center where connie had been taken for emergency surgery. We got to quickly see her rushed from the hallway into surgery. It was probably ten seconds. And i just remember telling her, i love you, and her being awake but kind of being out of it. And then that was it. Seeing her like that and all the wires coming out of her and the bags hanging and the blood and all that, it was very, very shocking, taken back, i almost felt sick. Reporter what did you think had happened . I thought her truck malfunctioned. We didnt know was it an accident, was it the gas tank, whats going on . I didnt know what exactly had happened. Reporter by now, though, investigators knew this explosion was no accident because they found bomb fragments embedded inside connies truck making it clear this was an intentional act, a car bomb, which got investigators wondering if it was the work of terrorists. Almost immediately when we came on scene, we made a plan of how we wanted to sweep the area. And what we were doing was looking for secondary devices so we didnt walk into an area and actually get hit by another device of some sort. Reporter robert luke of the San Diego County sheriffs bomb squad and atf agent matt beals were the lead investigators. They quickly learned that something about the day care may have made it a target. On that particular day care center, we were aware that there were other Law Enforcement officials who had their children in that particular home during the day. Reporter was it possible someone was out to kill cops and their kids . If so, connie, who always parked in front of the day care home, could have been the perfect yet unwitting Delivery System for the bomb. They werent looking for any known or suspected domestic terrorists or possible watchlist type people that may be in the area. Reporter no question that this was an ied, an improvised explosive device . No. Reporter and suddenly, they had more questions after they ran connies address and discovered that, in her neighborhood, two weeks earlier, police had found another bomb. Police make an explosive connection. This was personal. When we come back, had connie or her family been targeted before . Were like, wow, this is for real. Order it. Because at red lobsters create your own seafood trio i can have it all. Choose 3 of 9 dishes for just 15. 99. Like the creamy baked lobster alfredo. And the sizzling brown butter shrimp scampi. And fresh soyginger salmon topped with sweet pineapple salsa. I could go on. But there are three things on one plate waiting for me and id rather just go wouldnt you . But hurry it cant last forever. Today you brighten the room. A gallon of paint. Check. Drop cloths. Check. Painters tape. Check. Rollers and trays. Check aaaand check. Woooow. 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New flonase outperforms a leading allergy pill so you will inhale life. When we breathe in allergens our bodies react by overproducing six key inflammatory substances that cause our symptoms. Most allergy pills only control one substance, flonase controls six. And six is greater than one. So roll down your windows, hug your pet dust off some memories, make new ones. New flonase. Six is greather than one. This changes everything. When Connie Hoaglands truck exploded outside a san diego day care center, investigators suspected terrorism. A suspicion that only grew stronger when they realized that this bomb might well be related to another unexploded bomb found two weeks earlier lying in the street just blocks from the hoaglands house. This is a device we had not seen in the united states. Reporter detective chris evert and bomb squad commander john wood had taken that earlier call. Between them, theyve investigated and disarmed hundreds of explosive devices. But this one was a first. These particular devices had only been seen in war countries, afghanistan and iraq. Reporter the small but powerful device was hidden in a fedex envelope, but what really got everyones attention was the detonator linked to a cell phone. And that to you says what . This is somebody that can build a bomb and it can sit there from anywhere in the word and set it off. We have breaking news. A bomb squad investigates a suspicious object. Reporter taking no chances they sent in a robot to disarm the bomb. Fire in the hole reporter a firefighter was then put in one of those famous suits to make a final safety check and found the cell phone detonator had 18 missed calls. Only a broken wire had prevented the bomb from going off. Were like, wow, this is for real. Reporter police ran the phone numbers, of course, but they belonged to untraceable throwaway phones available almost anywhere. The bomber or bombers had left no trace of themselves. No fingerprints, no dna. Reporter the only real clues were found on the fedex envelope, duct tape and soot, suggesting the bomb might have fallen off of the underside of a car. And so, two weeks later, when connies truck blew up at the day care home, investigators immediately wondered were these two sophisticated bombs really the work of terrorists . Or was all this personal . We went through all those gamuts and we had a lot of people just going out chasing every lead there was trying to get this stuff done. Reporter and while he was still at the crime scene, detective luke had what seemed to be an odd visit from an old colleague, eric stallmacher. The former commander of the San Diego Fire Department bomb squad. Thats luke to the left of your screen and stallmacher on the far right. He was the first one to contact me as soon as i got on the scene. I says, what are you doing here . He tells me he had retired to colorado, came back to visit some friends here in town and he heard about the bomb and he came over to try to assist us. Reporter and there was one more thing. He turns out to be an acquaintance of the hoagland family, so he knew the victim and the husband. First thing that popped into my mind is we have a bombing here, we have a bomb guy on the scene thats retired and now hes also has some nexus to do with the family. That was definitely a curveball. Reporter the current bomb squad commander john wood was also at the scene and had the same unsettling concerns. One of our own sitting there going, wow, why did he show up . Now he just became a suspect. Reporter this guy used to have your job before you. Exactly. Hes the one that appointed me before i left. Reporter everybody here knows him, trusts him, likes him. Yep. Reporter and hes a friend of the family and hed know how to make that device. Exactly. Reporter stallmacher had a tip offering up a potential suspect, Connie Hoaglands exsoninlaw who stallmacher claimed may have had it in for the family. That was absolutely a lead we needed to follow up on immediately. Reporter because hes the only person you could think of that didnt like connie and larry. Exactly. Or so we were told and led to believe. Reporter so beals hit the road found for vegas and a meeting with connies soninlaw. He didnt have a negative thing to say about connie in any way, shape or form. Reporter just as important, the soninlaw had a solid alibi. Corroborated his story as to where he was and he had received the backup that he was at a store at one time and clearly not in san diego, not in california and his alibi all checked out. Reporter all of which put the guy who fingered him, stallmacher under more suspicion. Investigators put connies truck up on a lift for a closer inspection. And in the soot dust on the floor pan, they saw an outline the size of a fedex envelope framed in traces of duct tape. The imprint of the earlier unexploded bomb. Hardening their suspicion that whoever built the bombs was targeting connie or her family. This appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be directed at one person. Whoever the driver of that truck was. In this case, connie. Reporter back at the hospital, the hoagland family, holding a vigil by connies bedside, was unaware there was a criminal investigation under way until luke and beals paid them a visit. Then they asked if she had any enemies, if anyone would want to hurt her, if we could think of anybody. And i couldnt think of anybody. There wasnt anybody. Reporter definitely the only thing stranger than hearing that your moms been the victim of an explosion is hearing that it was not an accident and that it was directed at her specifically. I said, what . I couldnt i didnt believe it. I didnt understand it. And i just started crying because i didnt know who could do that, who would want to do that. Reporter what made a strange case all the more baffling occurred four days after the bombing when a large fedex box was delivered to this san diego Area High School addressed to one of their students. His name . Jonathan hoagland. That got san diegos bomb squad scrambling. And it got the towns attention. Coming up Connie Hoagland, wife, mother and survivor. I remember coming out to the truck, put in the key and then, kaboom. But who was trying to kill her . When dateline continues. Audible safety beeping audible safety beeping the nissan rogue with safety shield technologies. The only thing left to fear is you imagination. Nissan. Innovation that excites. Lowes presents how to install a new washing machine with one finger maybe a little more that way. Nice now get 10 off select major appliances 396 or more, at lowes. September 2010 may well be for san diegos busy bomb squads. This picture perfect family suddenly seemed to be the target of a Relentless Campaign of terror. First there was the cell phone device placed inside a fedex pack found just down the street from the hoagland home. Then there was the pipe bomb that detonated inside Connie Hoaglands pickup. And now there was a mysterious fedex box addressed to Jonathan Hoagland but delivered to his high school. I guess it had something to do with the car bomb that was happened last week. It may be from the same person, so were not sure. Immediately the school was shut down because now we still wasnt sure who was going to be involved. Reporter the box was removed and destroyed. Inside investigators were hoping to find some evidence that could lead them to the bomber. Instead they found party favors that jonathan had forgotten hed ordered for a high school dance. Something that he was in charge of getting, and he didnt remember it. Reporter but it shows the state of mind at the time. Pretty rough, schools closed down, bomb squad coming out, everything. Reporter while this particular event turned out to be a bust in terms of finding any workable evidence, luke and beals believed the bomber had to be somebody who knew the hoaglands, knew where they worked, where they lived, knew their routines and had access to their cars. The only problem was that connie, a devout christian and mother of three, had no known enemies. But luke and beals had one witness who might be able to shed some light on that part of their investigation. A witness they had yet to question. Connie hoagland. Always i had a sense that she was going to live. I dont know why, but i always knew that she was going to live. I just didnt know how. Reporter sedated and in icu after having gone through seven different surgeries to save her right foot and left leg, and yet somehow still alive. I remember coming out to the truck, put in the key and then kaboom, just a huge explosion. It scared me. I first i thought maybe the air bag went off. Reporter smoke, flames . Smoke started filling up and i looked out the door to and i noticed the truck started to move. And my feet and legs hurt really bad. I could tell, oh, that hurts. I thought i have to get out of the truck. So i pushed the door open, started to get out. I did not want to see my injuries. It felt so bad, it felt like my feet were blown off. Reporter what did you think had happened . I dont know. I really just laying there, i thought it was a random act. Reporter and so she says she was stunned when investigators first spoke with her in the hospital. And the police told me, this bomb was meant for you. And that was weird. I couldnt even digest that. Like youre kidding me. Reporter and they say to you, who does not like you enough to try to kill you . They did ask that. I could think of no one. I really dont have any enemies. They said its somebody who knows the code on your truck. Its somebody who knows where you work. Reporter who knows your routine . Yes. But its still nothing. Reporter thats not too many people. No, but reporter thats like what, your husband, your kids and a couple Close Friends . Thats true. But who would do that . Not them. Reporter and Standard Police procedure is to say after that, so hows your marriage, hows everything in your marriage . I said everythings fine. Reporter but in her heart, she knew that wasnt quite true. After 25 years of marriage, larry seemed to have grown tired of her. The last few years werent that good, but i thought we were still committed and just hanging on to the commitment of that time. Reporter did he act like he didnt care about you any more . Yes. Reporter that has to be heartbreaking. Yeah, it was. Reporter you ever think about leaving larry . It never crossed my mind. In the church, divorce is really frowned upon. If you can work it out, work it out. Reporter how was larry at the hospital . Pretty standoffish, which was normal for us at that time. Reporter the truth is there are a lot of bored husbands out there in suburbia, but few ever go on to try to assassinate their wives. And connie certainly didnt believe that was the case here. Neither did detectives. When you first meet larry, was he a suspect . No, he was not. He was the victims husband. We didnt really focus on larry that much. Reporter so eric stallmacher, the former bomb squad commander, remained on everyones radar screen. He was constantly by larrys side at the hospital and still wanting to pitch in on the investigation. I called the investigator friend of mine and said, hey, you know, can i come in and talk with you. Reporter detectives thought the time had come to bring in stallmacher for questioning, but before they could speak with him, they received another phone tip, one which would send this investigation in a whole new direction. A new direction, a new suspect and finally an arrest. 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