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$5K reward offered for information in Hot Springs mailbox explosive device case

The device was described as a glass soda bottle filled with black powder, ball bearings and fuse.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (KTHV) - U.S. Postal Inspectors announced a reward of up to $5,000 for the arrest and conviction of the person who placed an improvised explosive device in a mailbox on Wildcat Road.

Arkansas police said the U.S. Postal Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called to investigate a suspicious device found inside a mailbox.

A 61-year-old Hot Springs resident found the device inside his open mailbox on Monday. The Piney Fire Department and the Arkansas State Police bomb disposal unit responded to remove the device.

Garland County Under Sheriff Jason Lawrence described the device as a glass soda bottle filled with black powder and ball bearings with a material serving as a fuse on top.

The device was placed in the mailbox between 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 15, and 8:00 a.m. on Monday, April 16. “Putting an IED in a mailbox is a reckless act which not only endangers the safety of USPS employees and customers, but also anyone passing by the location where it was placed,” said Thomas L. Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division, U.S Postal Inspection Service. “Postal Inspectors will ensure this crime is investigated and the perpetrator is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I’d like to thank the Garland County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives for their assistance with this investigation.”

Lawrence said the device was taken to another location where a water cannon was used to break it open. The device parts were collected as evidence. Lawrence said the U.S. Postal Service has assumed responsibility for the investigation.

It is important to note this item was placed, not mailed. If anyone sees suspicious activity around their mailbox, they should notify local authorities immediately. Placing an IED in a mailbox can subject the perpetrator to various statutes within the Federal Code which carry a minimum punishment of up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine.

This article was written with the help of information from the Associated Press

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