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Owner of SUV with bomb says he sold it 3 weeks ago
Source: Agencies |
May 4, 2010, Tuesday
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THE registered owner of an SUV that was parked in Times Square and rigged with a crude propane-and-gasoline bomb told investigators he sold the vehicle to a stranger for cash three weeks ago, a law enforcement official said yesterday.
The owner, who lives in Connecticut, was questioned Sunday about his sale of the dark-colored 1993 Nissan Pathfinder to a man he did not know, the official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation into the botched bombing is at a sensitive stage.
Officials say the owner, whose name has not been released, is not considered a suspect in the bomb scare.
The SUV was found Saturday night with an explosive device that had cheap-looking alarm clocks connected to a 16-ounce (450-gram) can filled with fireworks, which were apparently intended to detonate the gas cans and set the propane afire in a chain reaction, said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne confirmed yesterday that investigators had spoken to the registered owner.
The vehicle identification number had been removed from Pathfinder's dashboard, but it was stamped on the engine and axle, and investigators used it to find the owner of record.
Investigators tracked the license plates to a used auto parts shop in Connecticut.
In New York, police and FBI were examining hundreds of hours of video from around the area and wanted to speak with a man in his 40s who was videotaped shedding his shirt near the Pathfinder.
The video shows the man slipping down Shubert Alley and taking off his shirt, revealing another underneath. In the same clip, looks back in the direction of the smoking vehicle and puts the first shirt in a bag.
In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Saturday's attempted bombing was a terrorist act.
Attorney General Eric Holder, who earlier in the day refused to classify the incident as terrorism, said the bomber intended to spread fear across New York and said investigators had some good leads in addition to the videotape that was released Sunday.
Investigators had not ruled out a range of possible motives, and federal officials said they hadn't narrowed down whether the bomber was homegrown or foreign.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told NBC's "Today" show that no suspects or theories had been ruled out.
"Right now, every lead has to be pursued," she said.
The Pakistani Taliban appeared to claim responsibility for the bomb in three videos that surfaced after the weekend scare, monitoring groups said. New York officials said police have no evidence to support the claims.
The SUV was parked near offices of Viacom Inc., which owns Comedy Central. The network recently aired an episode of the animated show "South Park" that the group Revolution Muslim had complained insulted the Prophet Muhammad by depicting him in a bear costume.
The date of the botched bombing - May 1 - was International Workers Day, a traditional date for political demonstrations, and thousands had rallied for immigration reform that day in New York.
The owner, who lives in Connecticut, was questioned Sunday about his sale of the dark-colored 1993 Nissan Pathfinder to a man he did not know, the official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation into the botched bombing is at a sensitive stage.
Officials say the owner, whose name has not been released, is not considered a suspect in the bomb scare.
The SUV was found Saturday night with an explosive device that had cheap-looking alarm clocks connected to a 16-ounce (450-gram) can filled with fireworks, which were apparently intended to detonate the gas cans and set the propane afire in a chain reaction, said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne confirmed yesterday that investigators had spoken to the registered owner.
The vehicle identification number had been removed from Pathfinder's dashboard, but it was stamped on the engine and axle, and investigators used it to find the owner of record.
Investigators tracked the license plates to a used auto parts shop in Connecticut.
In New York, police and FBI were examining hundreds of hours of video from around the area and wanted to speak with a man in his 40s who was videotaped shedding his shirt near the Pathfinder.
The video shows the man slipping down Shubert Alley and taking off his shirt, revealing another underneath. In the same clip, looks back in the direction of the smoking vehicle and puts the first shirt in a bag.
In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Saturday's attempted bombing was a terrorist act.
Attorney General Eric Holder, who earlier in the day refused to classify the incident as terrorism, said the bomber intended to spread fear across New York and said investigators had some good leads in addition to the videotape that was released Sunday.
Investigators had not ruled out a range of possible motives, and federal officials said they hadn't narrowed down whether the bomber was homegrown or foreign.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told NBC's "Today" show that no suspects or theories had been ruled out.
"Right now, every lead has to be pursued," she said.
The Pakistani Taliban appeared to claim responsibility for the bomb in three videos that surfaced after the weekend scare, monitoring groups said. New York officials said police have no evidence to support the claims.
The SUV was parked near offices of Viacom Inc., which owns Comedy Central. The network recently aired an episode of the animated show "South Park" that the group Revolution Muslim had complained insulted the Prophet Muhammad by depicting him in a bear costume.
The date of the botched bombing - May 1 - was International Workers Day, a traditional date for political demonstrations, and thousands had rallied for immigration reform that day in New York.
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