Three people, two men and one woman, have been taken into custody by police in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in connection to the investigation of the Boston Marathon bombings.
Here’s what you need to know…
1. One of Those Taken For Questioning May Be Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Girlfriend
The Boston Globe reported:
The FBI took two men and a woman into custody. “They appeared to be either fellow college students or fellow residents,” he said. Richard said Tsarnaev may have been affiliated with the home on Carriage Drive in some way — possibly having lived or visited the house.
Neighbors told ABC6 that they believed Tsarnaev’s girlfriend lived in the house that people were being led out of.
2. The Three Were Led Away by Police Late Friday Afternoon
Photo via ABC6
Around the time that the news was breaking that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was discovered hiding in Franklin Street, Watertown, this tweet came from the Boston Globe:
BREAKING NEWS: Three people taken into custody in New Bedford as part of Boston Marathon terror bombing investigation.
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 20, 2013
3. They Were Taken For Questioning Near UMass
The three were led away from an apartment block, Hidden Brook in New Bedford, which is close to the University of Massachusetts campus in Dartmouth, where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev attended school. It’s common for students to rent accommodation there. It’s known that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was was seen on campus as late as Wednesday, even attending a party for the school soccer team.
4. The UMass Campus Was Evacuated Today
When news reached authorities that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a student at UMass, the campus was evacuated as a precaution. The college released a statement saying:
UMass Dartmouth has learned that a person being sought in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing has been identified as a student registered at UMass Dartmouth. The campus is closed. Individuals on campus should shelter in place unless instructed otherwise.
The campus, like much of the Boston area, was put on lockdown for most of Friday, the Boston Globe reported:
During the lockdown, three black helicopters landed at the main entrance early in the afternoon, carrying about a dozen armed police officers who ran onto campus. Two U-Haul trucks arrived a short time later and drove onto campus; three U-Hauls had arrived earlier. Around 3:30 p.m., 11 State Police cruisers with lights flashing raced through the main campus entrance, followed by SUVs carrying personnel wearing military fatigues.
5. They Are Not Considered Suspects
FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers..
They are not suspected of having any direct connection to Tsarnaev’s terrorist activities. Reuters reports:
Earlier in the evening, Lieutenant Robert Richard of the New Bedford Police said that two men and one woman had been questioned “on the assumption there is an affiliation with suspect number two” — a reference to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Massachusetts FBI office said simply this evening:
No one was detained. No one was arrested.
