Army veteran in custody, accused of starting fire outside NYC federal building

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The man accused of setting off fireworks and lighting a fire Monday morning in front of a New York building housing an immigration court and other government offices is a former U.S. Army soldier, an FBI official said.

Andrew Arrabaca, who was a mechanic on Patriot missile systems, is in custody and has been interviewed, said James Barnacle, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office.

Barnacle said at a news conference that the 43-year-old Arrabaca “came armed with bad intentions” and had various weapons, including a pellet gun, knives, a hammer and a machete. Arrabaca fired five to seven pellets from an airsoft rifle toward the building, he said.

“He is an anti-American, anti-government extremist,” Barnacle said.

No charges have been announced yet against Arrabaca, and it was not immediately clear if he has a lawyer.

As the flames erupted outside an entrance to the building at 26 Federal Plaza, the person was tackled by a security officer and taken into custody, video shows.

The lower Manhattan building, 26 Federal Plaza, has become a focal point for demonstrations against the immigration policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.

Categories: Crime & Lawlessness

Tags: arson nyc us army NYPD