Police find clues in potential car bomb vehicle

Police find clues in potential car bomb vehicle
From Susan Candiotti and Jeanne Meserve, CNN
May 2, 2010 11:00 a.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Vehicle Identification Number found on potential car bomb vehicle

SUV found in Times Square had propane tanks, gas cans, NYC mayor says

Vendor saw smoke coming from box in car, notified police

Police looking at surveillance video to determine who left vehicle

(CNN) -- A T-shirt vendor who noticed smoke coming out of a dark green sport utility vehicle alerted police to what turned out to be a potential bomb placed in the city's iconic Times Square -- teeming with tourists and theater-goers on a balmy spring evening.

"We avoided what could have been a very deadly event," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg early Sunday morning. "It certainly could have exploded and had a pretty big fire and a decent amount of explosive impact."

The atmosphere at Times Square returned to normal Sunday, but questions remained about the contents of the vehicle.

Two federal officials said Sunday it was too early to tell whether the incident involved al Qaeda or another international terror group. The national threat level remained at yellow, or elevated.
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Police find clues in potential car bomb vehicle