Experts scour past of man charged in attack

Associated Press

NEW YORK

From his hospital bed, Sayfullo Saipov proudly told investigators how he had rented a truck and used it to fatally run down cyclists and pedestrians on a New York City bike path, all in the name of the Islamic State.

He assured them he acted alone. U.S. counter-terrorism agents want to make sure.

Since the attack that killed eight people, the New York Police Department and the FBI have been working behind the scenes to study his past, question his family and friends, examine his cellphone and online activity and hunt for any clues that might identify others plotting similar attacks.

That search already has revealed instances where Saipov had contact with other people who had drawn law enforcement scrutiny.

“What we are looking for is how has he touched the subjects of other investigations, what is his connectivity to those people,” said John Miller, the NYPD’s top counterterrorism official.

Saipov, 29, came to the U.S. legally in 2010 from Uzbekistan, where officials say he had no history of trouble with the law. He first lived in Ohio, where he was a commercial truck driver, then Florida. He most recently lived in New Jersey with his wife and children, and worked as an Uber driver.