DATE=5/7/2002

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=MAILBOX BOMBS (L-O)

NUMBER=2-289517

BYLINE=MICHAEL LELAND

DATELINE=CHICAGO

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

Intro: Police in the U-S state of Texas are looking for a 22-year old man for questioning in connection with a series of mailbox pipe bombs that have been planted since Friday. The latest bomb was discovered today (Tuesday) in Texas. More from V-O-A's Michael Leland.

Text: The F-B-I has issued an all-points bulletin for a man named Luke John Helder. They say he is believed to be in northwestern Texas, driving a Honda Accord automobile with Minnesota license plates. Officials say they want to question Mr. Helder about more than a dozen pipe bombs found since Friday in the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado and now Texas.

The F-B-I's bulletin came just hours after the announcement that another pipe bomb had been found in a mailbox in the Texas city of Amarillo. Officials say the device was similar to those found in other states: a small pipe roughly 15-centimeters long, attached to a small battery. It was also accompanied by a note. Notes found with the other bombs had complained about government intrusion into people's lives, and warned that more "attention-getters" were on the way.

Since Friday, 18 pipe bombs have been found in rural, roadside mailboxes in five states. Six people were injured in Illinois and Iowa Friday when several of the bombs exploded.

Hundreds of law enforcement officials have been working to find the person responsible for the mailbox bombs. The series of bombs has also left people throughout the central United States nervous about opening their mailboxes. Letter carriers are nervous, too. Since Monday, the U-S Postal Service has told people who live in areas where bombs have been found to leave the doors to their mailboxes open, so that carriers could look inside before dropping off the day's mail. (SIGNED)

NEB/ML/FC