Blast at Dallas facility sparks concern over Las Vegas suspect

Robert Macy

Wednesday, March 31, 1999 | 4:22 a.m.

LAS VEGAS -- A suspect being held here on explosives charges has been linked to a pipe bomb that exploded at the Dallas Bulk Mail Center, raising concerns about the possibility of other devices.

Frank Darwin Alexander was arrested here Sunday, the day of the Dallas explosion, after police found eight explosive devices in his room at a downtown motel.

Alexander, 53, a native of San Antonio, was also linked to an explosive device found in a package Monday in Las Vegas' downtown Greyhound bus station. The device was disarmed by the Las Vegas Fire Department Bomb Squad.

The package was addressed to an employee of the Las Vegas office of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, according to Tracy Hite, ATF special agent. She declined to identify the employee.

The pipe bomb that exploded at the Dallas postal center was believed to be addressed to San Antonio religious leader John Hagee of Cornerstone Ministries, a postal inspector said.

Hite said eight devices were found Sunday in Alexander's motel room, across from the bus depot. Asked if there was concern other devices might be circulating in light of the Las Vegas and Dallas incidents, Hite replied, "We are following up all additional leads in that arena right now."

She said authorities were "following every possible lead to make sure we know everything we can about anything out there, if there is anything out there."

Hite declined to describe the devices except to say they were "certainly designed to kill or injure anyone in the immediate vicinity."

She would not comment on whether any list of potential targets was found in Alexander's room.

Alexander made his initial court appearance before Justice of the Peace Bill Jansen Wednesday and was ordered held without bond on eight charges of possession of bomb components with intent to manufacture an explosive device.

Linda Kirksey, a U.S. Postal Service inspector in Dallas, said the package that exploded Sunday in Dallas was believed to be addressed to Hagee. She did not know of any connection between Alexander and the television evangelist, who is pastor of the 17,000-member Cornerstone Church.

In a brief statement, Hagee said he was cooperating with the FBI and ATF and would have no other comment.

Hagee reaches a potential audience of 65 million people in the United States and Canada and millions more in South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Malaysia, England, Turkey and Germany. His radio ministry is heard on 77 stations. Political figures like Oliver North and Elizabeth Dole have spoken from his pulpit.

"That's what Mr. Alexander says," Ms. Kirksey said of the package's destination. "The package that we retrieved from the bulk mail center on Sunday, there was no addressing information left of the package. ... It was already burned."

No one was injured when the bomb exploded on a conveyor belt about 30 feet off the floor at the facility, but the blast touched off a small fire. Damage was described as slight.

"The danger in a mail bomb is the projectiles," Ms. Kirksey said. "This type of device had the potential to kill."

Police say Alexander telephoned a mental health facility Sunday, saying he planned to use explosives. Police found him at a pay phone near the downtown motel and he let them into his room. They found what appeared to be bomb components and called the Las Vegas Fire Department Bomb Squad.

Hite said eight devices were found in the motel room.

Police returned to the area Monday when a package was found in the bus station. The bomb squad was called again, and disarmed what police described as an explosive device.

Ms. Kirksey said inspectors are confident the package that exploded in Dallas was the one Alexander was talking about "because mail handling procedures would have routed it from that facility."

Investigators are checking pieces of evidence that were recovered to see if they were sent by Alexander, she said.

"Why this gentleman has done this is not clear at this time," Ms. Kirksey said.