Stamford Resident: Bomb Discovery at Vine Road Home is 'Unsettling'

Stamford’s Turn of River neighborhood received quite a shock when Wednesday afternoon just 700 feet away from Turn of River Middle School.

“It was certainly disturbing—disturbing and unsettling,” five-year Stamford resident Christopher Priceo told Patch on Thursday.

Priceo has co-owned Planet TV & Appliance on High Ridge Road just across from the south end of Vine Road for the past 14 years.

“It’s definitely not common in this area. You always think about something like this happening in one of the hot spots of the city,” he said. “It’s hard to fathom something like this happening right under your nose, but then again you can't judge a book by its cover."

Ximena Soto, who has been working at Gofer Ice Cream on High Ridge between Vine and Merriman roads for the past three years, said that she saw police cars parked near the home on Wednesday, but didn't hear the details until the following day.

"It's really scary," she said. "The people that work around here usually leave around 10 p.m., but we leave at 11 p.m. It's not dark, but there's no one around when it's time to go home."

Just a few doors down is Reddi Rooster, where Oscar Suazo has been working for the past 12 years. He told Patch that he heard the news on television, but wasn't aware of the police activity.

"I'm very surprised because this is the quiet [part of] town," he said. "Everything is usually good."

Priceo said that, for him, the most disturbing detail to hear was the discovery of a reinforced tunnel that ran along the backyard of the home.

“That’s the part that really bugs me,” he said. “There was obviously something in the works.”

Police say they’re working with the FBI to determine what criminal charges to bring against the city man—whose name has not been released—occupying the basement. He was detained by police for a period of time before being released to family.

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