NEW YORK (AP/1010 WINS) -- Still stumped by an explosion last month in Times Square, police are again asking for the public's help tracing the origins of a bicycle they believe was used by the bomber.
Slideshow: Images from the Scene
Police on Wednesday rereleased a photo of the blue Ross 10-speed discovered in a trash bin along the route they believe the hooded cyclist took following the March 6 pre-dawn attack on a military recruiting office.
1010 WINS AUDIO: Stan Brooks Reports
The New York Police Department says it hopes someone might recognize the bike and provide clues about where it came from.
A $15,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest.
On March 6, a bomb, contained in a metal ammunition box, produced a sudden flash and billowing cloud of white smoke at about 3:40 a.m. When the smoke cleared, there were no injuries, serious damage nor clear indication of motive.
Although the scene was captured by numerous security video cameras, the investigation has hit a dead end.
But like similar attacks in 2005 and in October on the British and Mexican Consulates, the explosion frayed nerves of New 
Yorkers and tourists alike. It also heightened speculation that all three incidents were the work of a lone bomber who, perhaps emboldened by his past success, sought out the bright lights of Times Square.
The blast prompted a huge police response, left a gaping hole in the front window and shattered a glass door, twisting and blackening the metal frame of the building. Guests at the nearby Marriott Marquis said they heard a ``big bang'' and felt the building shake.
``I thought it could have been thunder,'' said Terry Leighton, 49, a Londoner staying on the 21st floor. ``I looked down and there was a massive plume of smoke.''
The private security video, though too murky for police to get a clear description of the cyclist, shows a figure riding along a traffic island in the glow of neon signs at about 3:38 a.m and getting off the bike just outside the recruitment center. About two minutes later, the cyclist rides away. Then the explosion occurs.
Investigators were studying other security videos, including one showing a man exiting a subway station about 10 blocks away carrying a bicycle, police said. The FBI was analyzing forensic evidence collected at the scene, Kelly said.
The commissioner cited other possible clues: A new bike discovered at about 7 a.m. in a Dumpster at West 38th Street and Madison Avenue -- just a few blocks from the blast -- and the sighting of a man spotted on a bike near the scene moments before the explosion.
The man caught the attention of a witness because he was riding slowly, wearing a backpack and a hooded jacket, Kelly said. The witness, who was buying a newspaper at the time, said because of the hood, the rider's face ``was pretty much covered.''
The blast bears a striking resemblance to the two consulate explosions.
In October, two small explosive devices were tossed over a fence at the Mexican Consulate, shattering some windows; police said they believed someone on a bicycle threw the devices.
At the time, police said they were investigating whether it was connected to a nearly identical incident at the British consulate on May 5, 2005. No one was arrested in either incident.
In those incidents, ``dummy hand grenades were used and the explosive, black powder, was put into those grenades and that caused the explosion,'' Kelly said. ``Here, it may be similar powder -- we still have to determine that. But it was placed in an ammunition box. That was the carrier for the explosive. There was no grenade.''
Kelly held up a similar green metal box, noting they were readily available in Army-Navy surplus stores.
In another sign that the three blasts are related, all of them occurred between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m.
.jpg)
But the previous episodes generated nowhere near the response that the Times Square blast did. Kelly, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the top FBI official in New York appeared at a nationally televised news conference in Times Square, and presidential candidates issued statements condemning the blast.
Bloomberg said the act ``insults every one of our brave men and women in uniform stationed around the world.''
``Whoever the coward was that committed this disgraceful act on our city will be found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,'' said Bloomberg. ``We will not tolerate such attacks.''
The military's 1,600 recruiting stations nationwide were alerted to the New York incident and advised to use extra caution, said Douglas Smith, spokesman for the Army recruiting command. He said New York recruiters would be working temporarily out of their Union Square office.
The military has had a recruiting presence in Times Square since the 1940s.
The current version of the station, built around eight years ago for $1.5 million, was designed to fit into the revitalized Times Square area, with American flags in neon lights and video screens offering recruiting messages and other information.
Over the years, the center's high-profile location made it a favorite target of anti-war demonstrations.
A $15,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case.
More Manhattan news...
E-Mail Story
Print Story
