Philly police reveal photo of "person of interest" in package explosive case

PHILADELPHIA — Police are asking the public to identify the person they believe dropped off a homemade explosive device at a home in Philadelphia on November 21.

Jim Alden, 60, suffered shrapnel wounds when the padded envelope that he told police he thought contained an inhaler or other type of medicine exploded in his kitchen.

On Thursday afternoon, police released a video and surveillance photographs of a “person of interest” who they hope to identify. Authorities said they are “not 100 percent certain” the person is male, but estimate he or she is of Asian decent, and could be anywhere from late teens to early 30s.

Commissioner Richard Ross said that the victim had been shown the images but did not recognize the person in them. He also said that it is possible that the person who dropped the device off at Alden’s home is not the person who constructed it.

“It is important to try and identify the person who constructed it. It was very dangerous, and caused significant injuries and could’ve caused death,” police say.

Police said they still do not have a motive, but believe that because the package was addressed specifically to Alden, it was a targeted crime.

Police are offering up to $10,000 as a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.