Suspect of package bomb explosion at Paris lawyers' office arrested

Police arrested an architect as a suspect of a deadly package bomb explosion at a Paris law office.

Photo: Suspect of package bomb explosion at Paris lawyers' office arrested

An office secretary opened the wooden box package after it was delivered to the law office on Thursday, and two explosives inside went off, killing her and seriously injuring a lawyer.

Judicial police detained the 45-year-old architect at his mother's home, where he was living, police officials said on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The man denied organizing the attack, the officials said.

The suspect had been accused of harassment in a complaint filed in 2005 by the head of the law firm targeted in the bombing, the officials said. That case was never pursued in court.

The building also housed another law firm co-founded by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and a Holocaust research foundation, though officials said they did not appear to be targeted.

Authorities were continuing a search for a delivery woman who dropped off the package, the officials said. Police investigators were questioning the suspect on Friday.

The police officials said the possibility of terrorism was no longer a focus of the investigation.