‘Death at the Spa’: Package Bomb Kills Owner — Ex-Partner Stephen Beal Convicted, Sentenced To Life

Overview

On May 15, 2018, a package bomb exploded inside Magyar Kozmetika, a day spa in Aliso Viejo, California, instantly killing the owner, Ildiko Krajnyak, and severely injuring two clients. Investigators later tied the device to her former boyfriend and business partner, Stephen Beal, who was convicted in federal court and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years.

FacebookIldiko Krajnyak and Stephen Beal.

How the Attack Unfolded

At approximately 1:05 p.m., a small cardboard package detonated in the commercial building that housed Krajnyak's spa. Two clients — a mother and daughter — survived but suffered second- and third-degree burns; one victim later lost an eye. A witness testified that she saw Krajnyak open a box moments before the blast. The victims escaped through a blown-out wall and were pulled to safety amid flames and debris.

FacebookIldiko Krajnyak

Investigation and Arrests

Two days after the explosion, federal agents arrested Beal on suspicion of possessing an unregistered destructive device. Authorities later reported finding roughly 130 pounds of explosive materials and related components at his home, primarily stored in a garage. Investigators also recovered items described as cardboard tubes with long fuses. Beal told agents he had been a model-rocket hobbyist and denied making bombs. Initial charges were dropped shortly after the first arrest, and he was released, but investigators continued their probe and re-arrested him in March 2019.

Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via GettyA blown-up section of a medical center building where an explosion and fire took place in May 2018 that killed a woman and injured at least three in Aliso Viejo, Calif.

Trial and Evidence

At a multi-week federal trial in July 2023, a jury convicted Beal on four felony counts, including use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and possession of an unregistered destructive device. Prosecutors presented evidence of a deteriorating relationship between Beal and Krajnyak, citing texts in early 2018 in which Beal appeared increasingly anxious about their future and allegedly threatened suicide when she asked for space. Reporting also noted that Beal had been widowed nearly a decade earlier in a death described by some outlets as mysterious.

Leonard Ortiz/Orange County Register via GettyCommander Dave Sawyer with the Orange County Sheriff's Department and Paul Delacourt of the FBI during a press conference in Aliso Viejo on May 15, 2018, near the location of an explosion that killed one woman and injured others.

Sentence and Reactions

On January 19, 2024, U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton sentenced Beal, then 64, to life in prison plus an additional 30 years. The judge described the crime's "cold, calculated nature" as chilling. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada called Beal's actions a callous murder of a loving mother and noted the risk the device posed to many others nearby, including children and teachers at a nearby preschool.

FBIStephen Beal's mugshot.

Public Attention

The case drew renewed attention when NBC's Dateline examined the bombing in the February 2024 episode "Death at the Spa," revisiting the timeline, investigative steps, and the lives affected by the attack.

Victim Memorial

Friends and family remember Ildiko Krajnyak as a devoted mother and dedicated esthetician whose life was cut short by violence. The sentence provided a measure of legal closure, though the physical and emotional wounds for the survivors and the community remain.