Long Beach Man Receives Life Sentence Plus 30 Years for 2018 Spa Bombing

Stephen Beal found guilty of four felonies in attack that killed his ex-girlfriend and injured two others.

Stephen William Beal, 64, was sentenced to life plus an additional 30 years in federal prison for building and planting a package bomb that detonated inside an Aliso Viejo day spa in May 2018, killing his ex-girlfriend and severely injuring two spa clients.
Beal was found guilty of four felonies: use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death, malicious destruction of a building resulting in death, use of a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
The bomb instantly killed 48-year-old Ildiko Krajnyak, who owned the spa, and permanently injured two of her clients: a mother and her daughter.
During a search of Beal’s residence after the explosion, law enforcement found more than 130 pounds of explosive precursor chemicals and completed explosive mixtures, as well as electric matches and wires.
Beal is scheduled to be sentenced on February 23 in a separate case after pleading guilty in November 2023 to wire fraud, Social Security fraud, and concealment of bankruptcy assets.