NYC terror attack: Records indicate suspect lived in Fort Myers, Tampa

A terror suspect's Florida ties frightened and shocked residents where he once lived, including Fort Myers neighbors who said they didn't recognize the photo of the man believed responsible for eight deaths.

Police identified Sayfullo Saipov, 29, as the driver of a rented truck that plowed through a busy bicycle path Tuesday near the World Trade Center in New York City.

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The incident began with a driver careening onto a pedestrian walkway and bike path, running over pedestrians and cyclists, New York police said via Twitter.

Witnesses described a horrific scene with people diving from the path of the speeding truck.

Public records indicate Saipov lived in Fort Myers between 2010 and 2011 at an apartment complex on Red Cedar Drive. News cameras gathered at the apartment complex Tuesday night, but many neighbors said they did not recognize anyone by that name or photo. 

Iowa court records show Saipov was pulled over on Interstate Highway 80 in Dallas County, near Van Meter, on Dec. 4, 2011, at 10:45 a.m. Saipov was charged with a maximum-hours-of-service violation.

Such violations typically apply to any property-carrying or passenger-carrying commercial vehicle, such as a semi-truck or bus. They are meant to prevent accidents caused by drivers who have worked too many hours in a row without a break.

According to court records, Saipov paid $127.50 in court costs and Department of Transportation fines. He was listed as living in Fort Myers at the time of the ticket.

Saipov's most recent known address is linked to Tampa. The Associated Press reported Saipov had a Florida license.

But residents at his Tampa address said they believe it has been at least a year since a man lived in the apartment. Records show Saipov's lease ended March 1, according to someone familiar with the property who asked not to be identified.

A woman living in the unit at the Heritage at Tampa Apartments spoke briefly through a crack in the door, not giving her name. She said she moved in almost a year ago and did not know Saipov.

“I don’t know who he is. I don’t care to know him,” she said, before shutting the door.

Other residents interviewed declined to give their name but said they didn’t know him.

An upstairs neighbor said an FBI agent said the apartments were Saipov’s former address but offered no other details.

Mohamed Soliman, who lives in the Tampa apartment complex and once lived in Saipov's unit, said he doesn’t recognize Saipov.

“It’s very terrible. It’s very scary. I don’t know who I’m living by, if we’ve got terrorists around.

“I don’t recognize him as a Muslim. A Muslim would not touch innocent people,” said Soliman, who is Muslim.

FBI agents in plain clothes knocked on doors in the Heritage apartment complex, asking for any information on the terror suspect. Residents gathered on their porches.

Vanessa Jones, who lives in the unit upstairs, told federal investigators it had been months since she saw any neighbors move in or out of the apartment below.

Witnesses told police the driver in Tuesday's attack yelled, “Allahu Akbar!” — “God is great” in Arabic — as he got out of the truck, AP reported, citing an official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A group of men coming out from prayer service at a mosque near his former Tampa apartment, the Islamic Community Center of Tampa, said they deeply resented not only the actions of the suspected terrorist but also the spotlight he put on the Muslim community. They said they had never seen Saipov at their prayer services before. 

"It puts us in a bad position every time a Muslim does something like this," said Noor Salhab. "It doesn't help us out at all."

After terrorist attacks from Muslims, national media and other institutions often look to mosques to answer for the actions of men who they say bear no representation on the religion. 

"This has nothing to do with us or who we are," said Muhammed Imam, 26, a medical grad student at USF who was also at prayer service Tuesday night. He added that the New York attacks will only perpetuate negative stereotypes and contribute to the "climate of fear" under which many Muslim Americans already live. 

Reporters Joseph Cranney and Melissa Montoya-Ocampo contributed to this report.

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