Aaron Hernandez Arrested, Taken From House In Handcuffs; Will He Be Charged With Murder For Odin Lloyd Homicide?

Update (12:06 p.m.): Pro Football Talk just tweeted the following: "Source with direct knowledge of Hernandez situation tells us: 'Assume the worst.'"

Update (10:23 a.m.): The New England Patriots have announced that they have released Aaron Hernandez. The star tight end had signed a five-year, $40 million extension last August.

Update (9:38 a.m.): Massachusetts State Police have confirmed that Aaron Hernandez has indeed been arrested. Authorities are not planning to release the charges against Hernandez until he is arraigned in court in Attleboro later today.

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After days of speculation about his possible role in the murder of Odin Lloyd, New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez appears to have finally been arrested. Multiple outlets are reporting that Hernandez was taken out of his North Attleboro, Mass., home in handcuffs on Wednesday morning.

Flanked by a pair of law enforcement officials, the 23-year-old Hernandez was arrested, the Associated Press reports. Hernandez’s lawyer had denied on Tuesday that his client was the subject of a pending arrest warrant.

While the charges against Hernandez are not yet clear, the Patriots star was likely arrested on charges of obstruction of justice, Deadspin reports. Hernandez stands accused of destroying evidence related to the murder of Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player.

In the days preceding his arrest, ABC News reported that Hernandez had intentionally smashed his cell phone, hired a team of house cleaners to scrub his North Attleboro mansion, and destroyed his home security system. Any additional charges will likely be revealed Wednesday when Hernandez is brought to court.

Initially, Massachusetts State Police did not consider Hernandez to be a suspect in the Lloyd homicide investigation. However, a stream of evidence would eventually led authorities to conclude that Hernandez was “directly tied” to the murder.