Politico reports this morning on the digital trail that lead to the arrest of a suspect last night in the failed Times Square bombing.
Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-born American, was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York last night. Federal officials followed a digital trail after obtaining the Nissan Pathfinder’s vehicle identification number from another part of the S.U.V. By tracking down the previous owner in Connecticut, officials learned the vehicle was sold through an ad posted on the website Craigslist.
Officials were able to get the number of a disposable cell phone used by the buyer of the vehicle. “Using a lot of technology” and databases, officials were able to track and then locate Shahzad at J.F.K. airport where he was arrested last night.
According to the New York Times, the S.U.V. belonged to a woman Bridgeport, Conn., who advertised the vehicle on various websites, including Craigslist. Cash was paid for the vehicle, and no formal record of the sale was kept. The Times also reports that the Pathfinder may yield more clues. Since the bomb failed to go off, the vehicle as well as all the bomb-making materials remain intact. Officials “have been dusting the outside of the Pathfinder for fingerprints. Inside, they can search for traces of hair or skin cells that might have sloughed off on a steering wheel or a seat cover. They may find literature tucked into a glove box, or some food under a seat,” according to the Times.
Shahzad is expected to be formally charged this morning in New York.
Further reading: Politico article on the digital trail, New York Times article on the arrest and on on vehicle evidence
