Neighbor near third explosion gives FBI surveillance video
AUSTIN, Texas - When it comes to the latest of the three explosions, the one on Galindo Street, Austin Police say the 75-year-old victim has life threatening injuries.
FOX 7 spoke with a neighbor who says he provided surveillance video to the FBI, hoping it will help lead them to the suspect.
The person behind the explosions is still on the run. For that reason, authorities continue to ask residents to come forward if they have any information or evidence that could help in their investigation.
Richard Rodriguez looks over the surveillance video he just handed over to the FBI. He lives one block over from where the third and latest package explosion happened - leaving a 75-year-old woman critically injured.
“If it was my grandmother I would want them to help, so that’s why I did it. If it does, that’s great but if not, hopefully it leads to at least some clue...a car or person walking or something. But, I hope they, you know, find somebody because it just wasn’t right,” says Richard Rodriguez, has surveillance video.
The woman reportedly received a package at the front doorstep to her home in Galindo Street. When she picked it up, police say it went off. This happened just before noon Monday. Rodriguez says about an hour later, authorities stopped by his home which has several surveillance cameras set up outside.
“There’s this one that comes this way,” says Rodriguez.
The FBI didn’t tell him what exactly they were looking for, just that they needed a copy of the video. They reportedly focused in on a short time-frame leading up to the explosion.
“They were just telling me to rewind here, rewind there. So, I just did what they asked,” says Rodriguez.
The Austin Police Department is thanking residents for helping in their investigation. As of late Tuesday afternoon, they had received 265 calls regarding suspicious packages. None of them turned out to be a threat. Consuelo Vitela was expecting a package but that still didn't calm her fears when it came.
“I went outside and it’s just there, the package on the floor. So I stayed, stayed looking at it and I said 'Ohh,' you know, with fear,” says Consuelo Vitela, neighbor.
She says she stepped on it a few times before picking it up.
Austin police remind residents that in all three incidents, the package was not from a mail delivery service. Everyone is hoping this will soon come to an end.
“It’s scary. I’ve got my grandma and my grandpa here, 81 years old. It’s just, it’s scary. What if it could have been them?” says Rodriguez.
Austin Police say they are not ruling anything out as a motive at this point, such as terrorism or a hate crime.