NFL New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested and booked at a police station in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, on Wednesday morning, ESPN news reported. Hernandez is scheduled to be arraigned and has been taken to Attleboro District Court. For nearly a week, investigators have been searching the area near Hernandez's home as they continued their investigation into the death of a man whose body was found less than a mile from the house.
State police said they will not release the charge that Hernandez faces until after it is presented in court.
Hernandez's lawyer said his client has faced "a relentless flood of rumors, misinformation and false reports," including unsubstantiated accounts in some media outlets late last week that an arrest warrant had been issued in connection with the investigation. On Wednesday, about half a dozen plainclothes police officers went to Hernandez's house and then led him out in handcuffs.
Authorities have been mum since 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, a football player, was found in a house nearby the Patriots' tight end's place. A notice posted at the courthouse said all records relating to the investigation have been "impounded by order of the court." The move seals all records related to the case, including search warrants.
Lloyd died of a gunshot wound, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday.
Lloyd's sister, Olivia Thibou, told CNN that Lloyd and Hernandez were friends who were at a Boston nightclub together a few days before Lloyd's death, and saidher brother was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. She did not know when or how her brother and Hernandez met.
Hernandez has also been released by the Patriots, following the arrest, and the team said in a statement, 'A young man was murdered last week and we extend our sympathies to the family and friends who mourn his loss. Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation. We realize that law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing. We support their efforts and respect the process. At this time, we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do.'
