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Boston Marathon bombing suspects' sister faces harassment charges

 
Ailina Tsarnaeva is accused of threatening a woman with comments about a bomb.
Ailina Tsarnaeva is accused of threatening a woman with comments about a bomb.
Published Oct. 1, 2014

NEW YORK — A sister of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects was led away in handcuffs Tuesday after a court appearance in New York on allegations she threatened to "put a bomb" on a perceived romantic rival.

Ailina Tsarnaeva, 24, of North Bergen, N.J., was held on aggravated harassment charges. She is accused of threatening a woman who previously had a romantic relationship with her husband.

"Leave my man alone," she said in a phone call on Aug. 25, according to the criminal complaint. "Stop looking for him. I have people. I know people that can put a bomb where you live."

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Abreu said Tsarnaeva was apparently referencing her brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who had been the subjects of an intense manhunt in the Boston area in the days after the deadly April 2013 marathon bombing. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a gun battle with police, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured.

Prosecutors said Tsarnaeva had driven past the woman's house since an order of protection was issued.

Tsarnaeva's attorney, Susan Marcus, said she disputes making such statements.

"My client is an easy target," Marcus said. "This is an uncorroborated claim."

Marcus said Tsarnaeva, a mother of two including a 5-month-old, and her family had "absolutely no means" and she did not deserve to be jailed.

According to a statement Tsarnaeva gave police, she called the woman to tell her to leave her family alone because she had been harassing her husband.

Judge Denise Dominquez renewed the order of protection and set bail at $5,000.