The retrial of a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend in 2018 by bombing the business they co-owned in Aliso Viejo began this week.
The first time prosecutors took Stephen Beal to trial for the killing of Ildiko Krajnyak, the jury was deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared in Aug. 2022.
Beal and Krajnyak both owned Magyar Kozmetica day spa in Aliso Viejo and were previously in a romantic relationship.
During the first trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Annamartine Salick claimed that Beal became obsessed with Krajnyak after the couple broke up and she began seeing other men.
Beal is accused of planting a cardboard box containing an explosive device at the spa. When Krajnyak opened the box, the device inside was triggered and exploded. Krajnyak was killed, a nearby mother and daughter were critically injured and the building was decimated.
Prosecutors told the jury that pieces of wire found at the scene of the bombing matched wire found in Beal’s home.
Prosecutors also said that Beal was caught on security cameras purchasing the same kind of battery used in the bomb, and that Beal allegedly bought three cardboard boxes similar to the one the bomb was placed in.
Beal’s defense attorney claimed that none of these materials were related to the bombing, and that Beal’s hobby was making rockets and fireworks.
During a search of Beal’s Long Beach home that took place after the crime, investigators allegedly discovered over 100 pounds of explosive material, two explosive devices and three unregistered firearms.
Beal has been federally charged with use of a weapon of mass destruction, malicious destruction of a building resulting in death, use of a destructive device in a crime of violence and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Beal’s retrial began on Tuesday with jury selection, said Thom Mrozek of the United States Attorney’s Office in an email. The jury heard opening statements Wednesday and witness testimonies on Thursday.
Mrozek said in an email that the trial will last several weeks.
Beal has pleaded not guilty. He is being held without bond.
Beal totally didi it. I went to ildiko for facials and waxing for several years. She often had a different boyfriend, and from what she talked about with me, the head games they played with each other were immense. She drove men crazy with jealousy, as well as looking into them online and them supposedly doing the same to her. Unfortunately whereas the other men didn’t act out with murder when she cheated on them, Beal premeditated and did. Feel so bad for ildiko’s son. He was young when his parents divorced. And then to have this happen… Very sad.
I’ll just say, when you are in a relationship and go looking for boom boom somewhere else… you just might find it. Just saying.