$115,000 Reward Offered In Unsolved 2008 Times Square Bombing
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A reward of up to $115,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the bombing at the Times Square military recruitment station.
The case has remained unsolved since March 6, 2008, when a person riding a 10-speed blue Ross bicycle placed an explosive device at the U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Station at W. 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue, lit a fuse and then fled the scene before the early morning blast.
The bike was later found inside a dumpster near Madison Avenue and 38th Street. The suspect was last seen wearing a grey sweatshirt.
No arrests were ever made.
The FBI said although the suspected bomber appears to be working alone, a lookout or surveillance team of up to five other people could have been involved.
FBI officials said they have identified several people in connection to the case and are tracking them down but they still need the public's help, CBS2's Valerie Castro reported.
"Obviously there weren't too many witnesses, but we feel there's people out there that have information and we want to encourage them to come out," FBI Special Agent Peter Tzitzis said.
The device was built using an ammunition can commonly found on battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, authorities said.
No one was injured in the attack, but Police Commissioner William Bratton said people had walked past just moments before the device detonated.
"We've made some good progress, we've identified some persons of interest, so the investigation is progressing so we want to keep that momentum going," Tzitzis said.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriguez said it's important to solve the case before those responsible "can strike again.''
"Someone knows those responsible for placing this device in the heart of New York City," Rodriguez said in a statement. "We need those people to come forward to help us solve this crime."
The explosion may be connected to earlier unsolved bombings in New York City at the British Consulate in 2005 and the Mexican Consulate in 2007.
In each case, a person on a bike delivered the bombs which were then detonated between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.
Investigators believe the suspect is still in the United States.
Anyone with information on any of the three bombings is encouraged to call the FBI at 212-384-1000.