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Pakistani Man Arrested In Times Square Car Bomb Case
By
Jen Chung
Published May 4, 2010
Modified May 4, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 4, 2010
Modified May 4, 2010
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At 11:45 p.m. last night, law enforcement officials arrested a 30-year-old Connecticut resident for allegedly driving a Nissan Pathfinder filled with gasoline, propane, M88 firecrackers, and non-explosive fertilizer to Times Square on Saturday night. The U.S. Attorney's office said that Faisal Shahzad, "a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport after he was identified by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection while attempting to take a flight to Dubai."
Shahzad actually boarded the flight and the jetway was pulled back. Authorities called the plane back to the gate; a source said, "They just caught him at the last second." Two other passengers were also taken off the flight, but it's unclear if they were connected to Shahzad.
Yesterday, the authorities found a 19-year-old Connecticut woman who sold the 1993 NIssan to either a "Middle Eastern" or "Hispanic" man for $1,300 cash just three weeks ago. Peggy Colas had advertised the SUV on Craigslist and, according to the Post, who spoke to her brother, said that the "buyer 'talked very softly, and he said he was just going to drive around and visit friends in New York.'" That day, her Facebook status was "I’m soooo happy I got a new car :)." but then, this past Sunday, she posted, "OMG! I HAD A CRAZY DAY ... IT’S OFFICIAL. I HAVE BAD LUCK. SMH I HOPE THEY FIND THAT BASTARD." Colas didn't speak to the press; her mom said, "My daughter’s nervous She doesn’t want this guy coming after her."
Authorities were able to trace the email sent to Colas about the SUV back to an email account belonging to Shahzad, who had recently spent five months in Pakistan and was not seen at his Connecticut home or work since Saturday. It's believed there are some international ties to this attempted attack.
Shahzad will appear in federal court (at Pearl Street) later today. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said, "This investigation is ongoing, as are our attempts to gather useful intelligence, and we continue to pursue a number of leads... But it's clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans." And, from a joint statement by US Attorney Preet Bharara, NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George Venizelos, "The dedicated agents, detectives, and prosecutors on this case will continue to follow every lead and use every tool to keep the people of New York City safe. We will not rest until every terrorist, whether homegrown or foreign-based, is neutralized and held to account."
Tagged
arrest
car bomb
craigslist
Dubai
explosion
faisal shahzad
Nissan Pathfinder
Pakistan
Peggy Colas
terror
terrorism
Times Square
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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