Son Charged With Bombing Gay Bar; Father Held in Theft

LANCASTER â€”  A 21-year-old man who allegedly bombed a Lancaster gay bar has been arrested, along with his father, who authorities accuse of stealing $300,000 worth of tools from Edwards Air Force Base.

Geoffrey Barr, 21, and Edward Barr, 49, were arrested after Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arson and explosives deputies, FBI agents and U.S. Air Force investigators searched their residence in the 2300 block of W. Avenue K-10, according to Sgt. Mike Parker, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Department.

The search of the son’s room turned up items such as a military smoke grenade and bomb-related devices such as 20 feet of cannon fuse and four military pull-string igniters, according to authorities. An unspecified amount of marijuana also was found, Parker said.

Investigators also recovered--from the house and from a Quartz Hill storage facility--about 1,500 stolen tools, including drill presses, compressors and table saws, Parker said.

He added that the investigators are trying to establish the connection between the stolen government property and Edward Barr’s former position as a civilian sheet metal shop supervisor at the base.

The charges against Geoffrey Barr stem from October’s bombing of the Back Door Bar in the 1200 block of West Avenue I, which Parker said caters to the gay community.

“It is believed this crime occurred because of the sexual orientation of the establishment’s customers,� he said.

One customer suffered minor injuries and the building sustained some damage, according to authorities.

Geoffrey Barr was being held at the Lancaster sheriff’s station on suspicion of detonating an explosive device in a public place, hate crime, receiving stolen property and possession of marijuana for sale, Parker said. Bail was set at $500,000.

Edward Barr, who was booked on suspicion of receiving stolen property, posted $10,000 bail and was released pending the filing of charges.