Man in custody after fire set outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan
A 43-year-old man was taken into custody after attempting to set fire to the 26 Federal Plaza building in Lower Manhattan using gasoline and fireworks. The suspect, who was armed with multiple weapons, was described by officials as an anti-ICE extremist.
Why it matters
The incident highlights security concerns regarding federal buildings and the potential for politically motivated extremist violence.
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- Police say a man armed with a collection of weapons used fireworks to start a fire outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan around 8:30 a.m. Monday.
Andrew Arrabaca doused a stairwell with gasoline, ignited it with a firework and sent flames and smoke up the facade of the building before he fired five to seven pellets from an airsoft gun, the FBI said.
Arrabaca, 43, is a former U.S. Army soldier from 2001-2005, who worked as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems.
"Mr. Arrabaca came armed, with bad intentions," FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said.
The Poughkeepsie resident had two axes, a hammer, a machete, and knives in addition to fireworks and gasoline, officials said.
The flames quickly spread but they were put out before they reached the building where immigrants are processed and FBI and ICE officers are located.
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