UPDATE: Court documents give insight into Missouri ties with driver in deadly Manhattan attack
UPDATE: According to the citation handed out to Saipov, he was driving a freightliner and its right side brake lining had multiple cracks over it.
A warrant was later filed for Saipov’s arrest after he failed to appear in court for the citation.
Saipov was arrested in St. Charles County and had a bond of $200, which he paid in cash.
ORIGINAL: Reported driver of the rental truck, Sayfullo Saipov, 29, that drove down a busy bicycle path in Manhattan killing at least eight people has possible ties to Missouri.
ABC 17 News checked public court documents and a Sayfullo Saipov with the same birth year was issued a ticket from Platte County near Kansas City in Dec. 2015.
According to public court documents, a Saipov was charged in April 2016 for failing to equip motor vehicle with/maintain required brake system.
Sergeant Collin Stosberg, spokesman for Troop A, told ABC 17 News that a civilian commercial truck inspector issued Saipov a ticket on Dec. 16, 2015 due to improper brakes. Saipov was at a scale house off Interstate 29 near the 24-mile marker when he was given the ticket, Stosberg said.
The records show Saipov was arrested in St. Charles County on a warrant for the ticket in Oct. 2016. After posting a $200 cash bond, Saipov pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor crime a month later. That bond was applied to a fine and court costs, court records show.
ABC 17 has reached out to Platte County and the Missouri State Highway Patrol officials for further information on the ticket.
While the connection may be minor, former state Director of Homeland Security Paul Fennewald told ABC 17 News that investigators of the New York City attack would most likely revisit that stop.
“Maybe talking to the law enforcement officer that gave him the ticket, was he acting suspicious or was he espousing anti-American rhetoric, just to determine if there are any other leads there,” Fennewald said.
Court records also show Saipov’s listed address was in Tampa, Florida.
