By Ji Hyun Lim
U.C. Santa Barbara freshman Patrick Wen Tsu Hsu was found dead after an explosion in his parents’ San Jose home. Although friends and family members of Hsu have said the 18-year-old seemed like an unlikely target for retaliation, there is an on-going investigation for a motive and police haven’t ruled out a possible homicide.
“We have detectives to see if there were any threats against him, but so far we haven’t found anything,” said San Jose police spokesman Steve Dixon.
The front window of the bedroom where the blast took place was shattered when Hsu’s mother discovered the body late Saturday afternoon. The bomb squad responded immediately and determined an explosive device caused the death. There were no other injuries or casualties in the incident.
Investigators speculate that the blast was triggered when Hsu inserted batteries into a toy robotic dog that was delivered in a package via the U.S. Postal Service to his parents’ house a month earlier. The San Jose bomb squad is working with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau to determine whether the explosion was caused by a chemical or powder reaction.
Hsu’s father, Chen Hsu, is uncertain about the specifics of the investigation, but he did say police confiscated all evidence, such as the robotic dog and its packaging, for the investigation. Chen Hsu said that his son had returned home Friday evening for a routine vaccination required by U.C. Santa Barbara. He was uncertain whether Patrick’s classmates knew about his whereabouts for the weekend. However, it seemed like a typical weekend home, he said.
A number of family members and friends have stressed that Patrick was well liked by his peers, and Chen Hsu said the family is shocked to think that Patrick could have been the target of an attack.
“He was involved in team sports like surfing, swimming, snowboarding, and soccer,” Chen Hsu said. “He was an excellent student at Oak Grove High School and his relationship with his family was great. Patrick and his older sister got along well with each other too.”
Given Patrick’s reputation, detectives have yet to determine if the explosive could have been meant for someone else, and in their investigation for a motive, they are also looking at individuals close to Patrick.
“He had no enemies, no threats. Classmates, relatives could be the target,” Sgt. Dixon said.
Nothing, however, will bring back Chen Hsu’s son. Chen Hsu believes friends and family will miss Patrick’s easy-going and peaceful nature most of all. “I can’t believe how popular my son was,” Chen Hsu said. “I think yesterday, over a hundred kids came to my home.”