The man arrested near the Boston Marathon finish line carrying a backpack containing a rice cooker on the anniversary of the bombings has been sent to a state psychiatric facility for an evaluation.
Kevin "Kayvon" Edson, 25, was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital and ordered held on $US100,000 ($A107,204.12) bail at an appearance in court on Wednesday 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.
His next court date was scheduled for May 7.
Edson's arrest occurred 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.
Edson was stopped late Tuesday after passers-by told an officer they saw him yelling, walking barefoot down the middle of a street, veiled in black, in pouring rain.
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His face was painted yellow and blue, the traditional colours of the marathon, police said.
The street was open to pedestrians at the time, and police said his presence was not a security breach.
The backpack was destroyed and police determined that the bag's contents were not explosive.
According to a police report read aloud in court, after Edson was read his rights, he told an officer: "I knew what I was doing, it was conceived in my head. It's symbolism, come on. The performance got the best of me."
Edson's mother, Joie Edson, said her son has bipolar disorder.
A second suspicious backpack was also found on Tuesday, and officers determined it had been left behind by a media outlet and was not dangerous, but it too was destroyed.
