By Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin

An American citizen born in Pakistan was expected to be arraigned today in Manhattan Federal Court in connection to the failed car bombing in Times Square Saturday.

Faisal Shahzad, 30, of Shelton, Conn. was arrested late last night at Kennedy Airport, where he had boarded a plane to Dubai. He was arrested minutes before the plane was scheduled to take off and brought into custody for questioning where, officials said, he was cooperating with investigators. He faces terrorism and weapons of mass destruction charges.

“This was an act that was designed to kill innocent civilians and strike fear into the hearts of Americans,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Attorney General Eric Holder hesitated to provide details about the investigation, but said that Shahzad had confessed to the crimes. “He has been talking to us and providing us with useful information,” Holder said in a Washington press conference.

“Make no mistake,” Holder said, “though this bomb failed to detonate, this plot was a very serious attempt.”

The investigation began when a street vendor noticed a car with smoke pouring out of it and notified authorities. The car was packed with propane tanks, firecrackers, fertilizer and other explosives, but the makeshift bomb failed to explode. The driver of the car fled the scene.

Authorities reported that because the car did not explode, the suspect left behind a raft of evidence for investigators to interpret. Authorities quickly located the original owner of the car, a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder, who recently sold it to Shahzad in Bridgeport for $1,300.

The FBI then located and raided Shahzad’s apartment searching for more evidence. Investigators caught up with him in the nick of time as he was seated in a plane on the runway.

Shahzad has insisted that he acted alone, officials said, but investigations were continuing.

Various news outlets reported that at least two suspects were arrested in Pakistan in connection with the possible plot, including Tausif Ahmed, who reportedly traveled to the United States two months ago to meet with Shahzad. At the press conference, Holder declined to comment on the overseas investigations.

The Associated Press reported that Shahzad had recently had spent five months in Pakistan, but what he was doing there remained unclear.

With Alshawn Rushing, Simone Herbin and Sonia Valentin