Person of interest in Pine Street package bomb shown in photos, video

Police on Thursday released photos and video of a person of interest in connection with last week's package bomb that severely injured a man inside his Center City residence.

At an afternoon news conference at Police Headquarters, Commissioner Richard Ross Jr. said the person is seen on camera dropping the package off at Jim Alden's home in the 1800 block of Pine Street.

The package was dropped off at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 20. Alden suffered injuries to his face and torso after he opened the package around 4 a.m. Nov. 22.

"We really do not have a motive right now, and that's one of the challenges we're dealing with," Ross said.

Police referred to the person of interest as a male but said they could not be certain. Detective Timothy Brooks said investigators believed the person was Asian and between the late teens and early 30s. The person wore a baseball cap and an Elmer Fudd cap with ear flaps, police said.

"It's our opinion that he's intentionally trying to disguise his appearance," Brooks said.

The person was wearing jeans and white sneakers, possibly New Balance, Brooks said.

Alden did not recognize the person, police said.

"Right now, the victim does not appear to know who would want to harm him. We have had extensive conversations with him," Ross said.

Alden did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. A fund-raising page for Alden had raised more than $20,500 by late Thursday afternoon. Alden published a note on the page Tuesday saying he was recovering.

"What I want to say at this point is how overwhelmed I have been at the outpouring of love and support that I've received from my partner, family, friends, and coworkers," Alden wrote.

Last week, Alden's friends described him as a gregarious theater buff and singer who worked for a time as a waiter and bartender at the Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square.

Alden, a native of Modesto, Calif., lives with his partner, police said, and had a rainbow "Love Trumps Hate" sign in the front window of his building.

According to a post on the fund-raising page, Alden likely would have been blinded had he not put on his glasses prior to opening the package. He also lost parts of two fingers on his left hand, according to the web page, and will need surgeries to repair damage.

Alden said "shrapnel" damaged his face, chest, and arms, and the explosion blistered his eardrum.

Investigators said that the bomb was being analyzed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and that it was unlike anything that had been seen on the East Coast.

"This was a specified target," said Sam Rabadi, special agent in charge of the Philadelphia field division for the ATF.

"This device was a very dangerous device. It was a destructive device that caused significant injury to the person and could have resulted in death."

A $10,000 reward is offered for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call 215-686-TIPS.

For more information and to see the video, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLNpR2qaZ6s. To donate to Jim Alden's medical care, visit www.youcaring.com/jimalden-700809

narkj@phillynews.com

215-854-5916@jasonnark