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Bomb-laden car crashes into Spain's People's Party HQ

By Ed Adamczyk

MADRID, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- An explosives-laden car crashed into the Madrid, Spain, headquarters of the ruling People's Party early Friday, with no casualties.

The incident was an attempt to blow up the building, police said. The vehicle, with butane gas canisters and a mix of gasoline and industrial fertilizer aboard, did not ignite, but the glass entrance of the building was destroyed after the car proceeded through the first floor at high speed. The driver, Daniel Perez Berlanga, 37, was arrested.

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The driver claimed the party was responsible for his financial problems, and that bombs would explode within a half-hour of the crash. Streets in the area were closed, hampering Madrid's commuters, and a police bomb squad was dispatched.

The driver has a history of psychiatric problems and no connection to terrorist groups, Ignacio Cosido, Spanish chief of police, said. Spanish media said the driver, referring to himself as a "failed businessman," is the son of a former mayor of his hometown of Bronchales, Spain. He lost his job in a woodworking factory and failed to secure a government position.

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