Grenades, a Bicycle, and the Cover of Darkness

Surveillance tapes will likely provide little help in determining the identity of culprits behind Thursday night's ‘grenade’ attack on the Mexican Consulate building in New York City. In circumstances eerily similar to a 2005 incident at the British Consulate, novelty grenades filled with explosives were thrown through windows at approximately 3:30AM. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

The detonation blew out several windows and sent debris flying into the building, located in the Murray Hill section at 27 E. 39th Street between Madison and Park avenues. […] Ramon Xilotl, Mexico's Consul General, tells CBS 2 that the early morning attack, which left explosive fragments on the sidewalk, broke three windows and was captured on surveillance video. "They showed the explosives but nobody is seen in the camera. But there is a witness that saw the individual," he said. (via WCBSTV.com, Video)

Like the 2005 attack at the British Consulate, a person on a bicycle was seen
peddling away from the explosion. Beyond that detail, however, meaningful
leads in the case are few and far between.

I find it somewhat amazing that in this time of heightened security and seemingly
ubiquitous surveillance a man on a bicycle can conduct an attack like this
without leaving behind so much as a single image. Perhaps the next consulate
will fare better.