Man accused of dropping backpack at Boston marathon finish line has mental disorder, mom says

APRIL 15: A member of the bomb squad inspects an object after a controlled detonation at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston. (AP)

A man arrested near the Boston Marathon finish line carrying a backpack containing a rice cooker on the anniversary of the bombings has a mental disorder, his mother told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Kevin "Kayvon" Edson, 25, has bipolar disorder, his mother, Joie Edson said.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Boston Municipal Court on charges of threatening battery, possession of a hoax explosive device, threats to commit a crime, disturbing the peace, disturbing a public assembly and disorderly conduct. It was not immediately clear who his lawyer is.

Edson was stopped late Tuesday after passers-by told an officer they saw him acting suspiciously, including walking barefoot down the middle of a street, veiled in black, in pouring rain, police Superintendent Randall Halstead said.

WBZ-TV photographers at the scene said they saw the man ran barefoot toward the finish line, carrying the backpack and screaming "Boston Strong!"

"All of a sudden you hear this guy go, 'Boston Strong, Boston Strong,'" a witness told MyFoxBoston.com. "So I turned around, he's right next to me walking by, and there's two Boston cops standing on the corner ... so they turn around, they caught wind of it, and they go 'Hey, you come here.' And he goes 'Get away from me.' So another cop came around him, grabbed him, started struggling with him over the backpack, they pulled the bag off him and then they tackled him and took him down," he said.

Officers removed the veil and a hat and saw that the man's face was painted blue and yellow, investigators said.

Boston Police issued an all-clear for an area of Boylston Street near the finish line shortly after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday after two backpacks were detonated by a bomb squad as a precautionary measure. MyFoxBoston.com reported that police found a rice cooker in one of the bags, but did not elaborate on the contents of the second bag. Officers determined it had been left behind by a media outlet and was not dangerous, but it too was destroyed.

The arrest happened hours after ceremonies to mark last year's Boston Marathon bombings, in which two pressure cooker bombs hidden in backpacks exploded, killing three people near the finish line and injuring more than 260 others.

The backpacks rattled nerves days ahead of this year's marathon. Police kept people away from the finish line area for about three hours Tuesday and trains bypassed the nearby Copley Square station.

"With the marathon coming, our officers are taking it seriously," Halstead said. "The safety of the public is utmost."

Joie Edson declined further comment on her son but said she planned to issue a statement later Wednesday.