Ildiko Krajnyak Was Killed by a Jealous Ex-Lover Who Injured Two Strangers in the Process

Unfortunately, we live in a world where it's virtually impossible to keep track of acts of violence. Despite that, some tragedies really stand out. In May 2018, a package bomb went off at the Magyar Kozmetika spa in Aliso Viejo, Calif.

Its owner, Ildiko Krajnyak, was killed instantly. Two customers barely escaped with their lives.

A little more than a year after Krajnyak was killed, loved ones opened up about the kind of person she was. Her friend Kris Wilson told People that Krajnyak was very sweet.

"She would go to Budapest to go visit her family, and she’d come home with gifts for like 30 of her friends," she recalled. There was also another side of Krajnyak. One that included a few secrets, like multiple boyfriends.

Stephen Beal was one of them. He quickly became a suspect. Where is he now? Here's what we know.

In January 2024, Beal was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. Beal had been convicted 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, per the U.S. Attorney's Office Central District of California.

United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton said the nature of the 64-year-old's crimes was chilling, adding that they were cold and calculated. "Mr. Beal’s wanton disregard for the lives of others warranted the severe sentence that the court imposed, which should send a clear message that our community will not tolerate such acts of violence," said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.

Beal is incarcerated at USP Victorville, a high-security penitentiary in Victorville, Calif.

In March 2018, Beal and Krajnyak were vacationing in Portugal when he discovered she was seeing another man, reported the Los Angeles Times. Beal figured this out while looking through Krajnyak's phone. He even snapped a photo of a text exchange between Krajnyak and this other man.

During Beal's trial, Assistant U.S. Atty. Mark Takla noted that Beal knew all of Krajnyak's habits, had access to her spa, and possessed "decades of experience in rocketry."

In the days leading up to the bombing, Beal kept track of Krajnyak's movements. He checked her social media activity and online schedule application. Security camera footage from a store recorded Beal purchasing a single 9-volt battery, and three cardboard boxes similarly sized to the one a surviving victim said they saw Krajnyak open before she was killed.

The FBI’s Evidence Response Team recovered parts of a 9-volt battery embedded in the ceiling above the blast site.

A search of Beal's home resulted in the recovery of more than 130 pounds of explosive precursor chemicals and completed explosive mixtures, as well as electric matches and wires. The incident occurred on May 15 at approximately 1:05 p.m. when Krajnyak opened the box.

Two clients, a mother and daughter, were permanently injured from the blast. Beal maintains his innocence.