This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/29/nyregion/2-men-who-found-unexploded-bomb-in-travel-bag-in-chelsea-are-identified.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
2 Men Who Found Unexploded Bomb in Travel Bag in Chelsea Are Identified 2 Men Who Found Unexploded Bomb in Chelsea Are Identified
(about 7 hours later)
Investigators have identified the two men who found a travel bag containing an unexploded bomb on a Manhattan street this month, a few blocks from where a bomb exploded, two law enforcement officials said.Investigators have identified the two men who found a travel bag containing an unexploded bomb on a Manhattan street this month, a few blocks from where a bomb exploded, two law enforcement officials said.
The identity of the men has been one of many outstanding questions as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York Police Department and other agencies investigate the bombings that struck the Chelsea neighborhood and a town on the Jersey Shore on Sept. 17.The identity of the men has been one of many outstanding questions as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York Police Department and other agencies investigate the bombings that struck the Chelsea neighborhood and a town on the Jersey Shore on Sept. 17.
The two officials were not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.The two officials were not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.
According to one of the officials, the two men, approximately ages 35 and 42, were tourists from Egypt who have since returned to their home country. According to one of the officials, the two men, aged approximately 35 and 42, were from Egypt and have since returned there. The possibility that they were not local residents was one theory authorities had offered last week as they searched for the men.
CNN reported earlier on Wednesday afternoon that the F.B.I. had determined the men’s identities and their whereabouts. The possibility that they were tourists was one of the theories authorities had offered. CNN reported earlier on Wednesday afternoon that the F.B.I. had determined the men’s identities and their whereabouts.
Before they returned to Egypt, the two men had been staying in a hotel in Manhattan, one of the officials said. The Chelsea bombing, which injured 31 people, occurred on West 23rd Street. Investigators obtained an image of the men with what appeared to be the same travel bag in the hotel’s lobby from around 9:50 p.m., less than an hour and a half after a bomb exploded a few blocks away. Before they returned to Egypt, the two men had been staying in a hotel in Manhattan, one of the officials said.
The Chelsea bombing, which injured 31 people, occurred on West 23rd Street. In an image distributed by the F.B.I., the two men were seen walking on West 27th Street around the same time. They left the bag’s contents on the street and took the bag. Investigators were able to track them to their hotel by using images from nearby surveillance cameras, the official said.
At the hotel, investigators obtained an image of the men in the hotel’s lobby around 9:50 p.m. with what appeared to be the same travel bag. That was less than an hour and a half after the bomb on 23rd Street exploded. The official said the travel bag was possibly an imitation of a design made by the brand Louis Vuitton.
The F.B.I. has submitted a request to the Egyptian government and is seeking to question the two men. There is no indication they were involved in the bombings, the official said.The F.B.I. has submitted a request to the Egyptian government and is seeking to question the two men. There is no indication they were involved in the bombings, the official said.
Two days after the attacks, the police arrested a suspect, Ahmad Khan Rahami, after a shootout in Linden, N.J. Mr. Rahami was charged last week by both state and federal prosecutors. The police arrested the suspect in the attack, Ahmad Khan Rahami, after a shootout in Linden, N.J., two days after the bombings. Mr. Rahami was charged last week by both state and federal prosecutors. He is being held at a hospital in Newark. A state court appearance scheduled for Wednesday was postponed.
In a recent letter to a judge, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office office argued that Mr. Rahami was not able to assert his right to an attorney because of his physical state, which was described as “incapacitated and unable to communicate.”
The American Civil Liberties Union in New Jersey announced on Monday that it had been retained by some of Mr. Rahami’s relatives to represent him in his federal case. Lawyers from the organization had not yet been able to meet with him, Alexander Shalom, a senior staff attorney, said on Wednesday.