By Theodore Parisienne Posted – 6:14PM
In a bizarre incident, a 46yr old man handed a black backpack to another man while on the Eastern Parkway Esplanade at Utica Avenue on Sunday in Brooklyn, an area popular with residents who use it for biking, running or just relaxing on a bench in the shade, while hordes of strap hangers enter and exit the busy Utica Avenue hub for the numbers 3,4 and 5 trains.
It is not clear if any words were uttered, but the man who received the backpack looked in and saw a device that had a timer, duct tape and at least one red wire.
The man immediately flagged down some passing Cops who then called in the Bomb Squad. The heavily trafficked area was cordoned off for several hours, including train stoppage, while Officers from the Bomb Squad examined the package and searched for any possible additional devices.
A Bomb Squad Officer prepared an explosive charge contained inside a tube apparatus, which was then used to detonate the device on the scene. The Officer was spotted giving the ‘All Clear’ sign to his colleagues upon inspecting the package after the detonation. 46yr old Luis Rodriguez of Brooklyn, the man who allegedly initially had the backpack, was arrested near the scene. He was charged with Terrorism, Reckless Endangerment and Aggravated Harassment.
