ELIZABETH, N.J.— Lee Parker still pictures the explosion that could have happened if he had dropped the backpack he took from a garbage can on Sunday night while a friend bought beer.
“I see it sometimes in the back of my mind and I know I need to get past it,” said the 50-year-old homeless man from Elizabeth, New Jersey. “But, I feel good. I’m OK, and I’m grateful.”
Authorities say Parker and a friend contacted police after finding the bag near the Elizabeth train station Sunday. One of the bombs exploded while a police robot was trying to disarm it. Other devices found inside were taken away by investigators.

Lee Parker (L) talks to a man walking by as he explains to reporters how he found a bomb near a trash can in Elizabeth, N.J., on Sept. 21, 2016. AP Photo/Julio Cortez





