Jail not concerned Aaron Hernandez’s tattoos are gang-related

When Aaron Hernandez was taken into custody last week, there was some concern that his tattoos might put him at jeopardy in jail. Officials planned to examine Hernandez’s tattoos for possible gang ties to determine where they should place him within the facility. Apparently they have determined that concerns about Hernandez’s gang affiliations were overblown.

ESPN’s Bob Holtzman reported on Monday that jail officials say Hernandez has acclimated well to jail. He also says that the jail’s gang unit analyzed Hernandez through an interview and look at his tattoos and are “not as concerned about gang affiliation” as they were initially.

[Photo: Examining Aaron Hernandez’s ‘blood’ tattoo on his right hand]

TMZ reported on Monday that Hernandez underwent an evaluation and the jail decided to place him in an isolated cell away from the general population to protect him from potential harm.

Hernandez is being held at the Bristol County House of Corrections in North Dartmouth, Mass., as he faces first-degree murder charges for the killing of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd. Prosecutors have alleged that Hernandez orchestrated the murder of Lloyd. Hernandez is also facing five other charges.

[Related: Aaron Hernandez reportedly had gang ties]

The two men Hernandez allegedly texted to return to Massachusetts the night Lloyd was killed are also believed to be in custody. Those two men — Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace — are also facing charges.

A report published over the weekend suggested that Hernandez may have murdered Lloyd over drugs and other secrets the 27-year-old knew about the tight end. Hernandez was released by the New England Patriots the morning he was arrested last week. The team reportedly did not know that Hernandez was going to be facing murder charges when they released him.

See all the LBS coverage of the Aaron Hernandez murder