Boston police arrested a man who left a backpack at the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street, just hours after the city held somber ceremonies to mark the one-year anniversary of the 2013 Marathon bombings. The man was arrested and is set to be arraigned today.
The man, 25, was stopped on Tuesday when an officer saw him acting suspiciously, reports The Associated Press. Police Superintendent Randall Halstead said that the man was seen walking barefoot in the middle of the street while it was raining. When approached by the officer, he said his backpack had a rice cooker and dropped it. The bag was later destroyed by authorities.
The Wakefield, Mass. man will be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court. He will be charged with possession of a hoax device, but other charges may be added later, authorities said.
While officials haven’t identified the man, NECN reports that his name is Kevin Edson. His mother, Joie Edson, told the Boston Herald that her son “suffers from bipolar disorder” and “was off his meds” Tuesday.
The Boylston Street area, where the ceremonies were held, was shut down to pedestrians and motorists for around 3 hours. There was another bag in the area, but the AP reports that it was left by a media outlet and not dangerous.