CNN ‘Arrest’ Confusion Among its Sources

Investigators comb through the post finish line area of the Boston Marathon at Boylston Street, two days after two bombs exploded just before the finish line on April 15. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

CNN ‘arrest’ confusion: CNN on Wednesday said there was some confusion among its sources over claims that a suspect was arrested for the Boston Marathon bombing two days ago.

“Anyone who says ‘arrest’ is ahead of themselves,” a federal law enforcement source told CNN.

That comment came after a different Boston law enforcement source told the network that “we got him,” without elaborating further. It was unclear if the suspect was identified or was actually arrested.

The Associated Press and other media agencies also reported that a suspect was arrested and they later rescinded those reports.

A source told CNN that officials are trying to find a man wearing a white baseball cap, saying the man was wearing the hat backwards and had on a hooded sweatshirt. They added that the man was not identified.

On Tuesday, there were reports that a Saudi national was arrested in the bombings but later, reports said he was only a witness.

A law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity and was not authorized to discuss the case publicly confirmed only that investigators had an image of a potential suspect and had not established his identity.

Also Wednesday, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told the AP that a suspect was in custody. The official, who was not authorized to divulge details of the investigation, said the suspect was expected in federal court.

But the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston said no arrests had been made.

“Contrary to widespread reporting, there have been no arrests made in connection with the Boston Marathon attack,” the FBI said in a statement. “Over the past day and a half, there have been a number of press reports based on information from unofficial sources that has been inaccurate. Since these stories often have unintended consequences, we ask the media, particularly at this early stage of the investigation, to exercise caution and attempt to verify information through appropriate official channels before reporting.”

The official who spoke to the AP about someone being taken into custody stood by the information even after it was disputed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.