Bombing Suspect Arrested

Officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms say they have the man who bombed two Lowe's Home Improvement stores and attempted to bomb a third. CBS News' John Repp reports.

Agents have arrested Greensboro resident George Rocha, 51, for the July 1998 bombings. They say he apparently was retaliating for his arrest in 1998 for relabeling Lowe's merchandise.
Rocha was charged with using explosive devices to damage stores, mailing threats and interfering with interstate commerce.

Bombs exploded minutes apart Sept. 22 at Lowe's stores in Asheboro and Salisbury. The Asheboro blast seriously injured one woman. Six days later, an unexploded bomb was found at a store in Concord.

The arrest warrant included copies of two identical letters sent in September in which Rocha allegedly demanded $250,000 from Lowe's to make him stop the bombings. Two more letters were sent last week, and in response the company paid $250,000 to an overseas bank account.

Authorities said they tracked down Rocha through the bank account alias he used and his Internet provider. With the help of telephone company officials, investigators traced the transactions to Rocha's home telephone number, the arrest warrant said.

The threatening letters said the bombings were retribution for a May 1 accident at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord that killed three spectators and injured eight others. Lowe's is a corporate sponsor at the track. "I have your red aprons and vests and will be able to get in and out of your stores without much trouble," a letter said.

The federal charges, however, said Rocha's real motive for the bombings was his arrest in July 1998 at a Greensboro Lowe's for allegedly relabeling store items. He was charged with obtaining property under false pretenses, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 days in jail and 12 months' probation and fined $100.

A preliminary hearing for Rocha was scheduled for Thursday.