Here’s How Pipe Bomb Mail Suspect Cesar Sayoc, Jr Was Caught

The Inquisitr earlier reported that the man believed to be behind the series of mailed bombs sent to Democratic politicians and media personalities was arrested on Friday morning.

Cesar Sayoc, Jr., who is originally from Brooklyn and is now a resident of Florida, is in custody in connection with the pipe bombs that were mailed to critics of President Donald Trump this week. Reports said that the 56-year-old is a Republican with fervent admiration for Trump.

How did investigators track Sayoc and identify him as the most likely person to have sent the explosive devices?

According to CNN, a key break in the nationwide manhunt reportedly came on Thursday when investigators traced five packages to the Opa-Locka processing and distribution center outside of Miami.

Using DNA and fingerprint samples that were left on a package sent to Rep. Maxine Waters, as well as pings from a cell phone tower, investigators pinned down Sayoc as the likely suspect.

U.S. postal workers and private security workers, who detected the explosives as they arrived at post offices and office buildings, were crucial to the investigations of the FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force of the NYPD, U.S. Postal Inspectors, other federal agencies, and local law enforcement.

Investigators also benefited from the mistake made by the suspected bomber, who left traces of evidence that point at him. Workers at the FBI forensics lab in Quantico, Virginia, detected DNA and a fingerprint on the explosive device intended for Waters.

After working with local law enforcement, they managed to match it to a sample of Sayoc’s DNA that has been previously collected due to his extensive criminal background.

In 2002, Sayoc was arrested for making a bomb threat, to which he pleaded guilty.

Traces of DNA collected from two other bombs also appear to be related to Sayoc.

The investigators then checked Sayoc’s mobile phone number against the vicinity of cellphone towers to see if it these matched the location and timing of the mailings.

Agents and law enforcement officers also combed through Sayoc’s social media posts by Thursday evening and began a surveillance detail.

The clues they gathered strengthened suspicions that Sayoc was indeed the person they are looking for. In some of the social media posts, Sayoc misspelled words, such as “Hilary” for “Hillary” Clinton, that matched some of those on the package.

Sayoc was finally arrested on Friday as he was approaching his white van covered with images that are political in nature. A “CNN Sucks” sticker was also on the vehicle. Interestingly, two of the packages were addressed to the CNN New York bureau.