Alleged bomber heads for 1st public court hearing

This file photo provided Friday, April 19, 2013 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. A federal grand jury in Boston returned a 30-count indictment against Tsarnaev on Thursday, June 27, 2013, on charges including using a weapon of mass destruction and bombing a place of public use, resulting in death. AP/Federal Bureau of Investigation

BOSTON — Survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing will watch as the young man who could face the death penalty for the attack appears in court for the first time since he was found hiding in a boat in a suburb days after the April 15 explosion.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s arraignment will be held Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Boston. The 19-year-old has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction in the bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 260.

Tsarnaev hasn’t appeared publicly since his April 19 arrest. His initial court hearing was held at a hospital, where he was recovering from injuries suffered in a confrontation with police that killed his brother and alleged co-conspirator.

Tsarnaev escaped but was found in the dry docked boat in Watertown.