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US Army Veteran in Custody After Fire Set Outside Federal Building in Manhattan
A U.S. Army veteran is in federal custody after allegedly igniting a fire and setting off fireworks on Monday morning outside the Manhattan building housing offices for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI. Authorities reported that the incident resulted in minor injuries to three people, including a federal officer who detained the suspect.
Incident at Federal Plaza
Officials identified the suspect as Andrew Arrabaca, a 43-year-old resident of Harlem. According to authorities and local news videos, a man appeared to pour gasoline from a bucket onto the steps of 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan before setting it on fire.
The suspect also ignited fireworks and was found with anti-ICE literature, officials said. The office tower is a major federal hub, also housing the FBI's New York field office.
Law Enforcement Response
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated on X that a Federal Protective Service officer sustained minor injuries while detaining the man, who the agency described as "an anti-ICE rioter." Two other people were also lightly injured, according to James Barnacle, the FBI's assistant director in charge of the New York office.
AdAt a news conference, Barnacle described the suspect as "an anti-American, anti-government extremist." James McDonald, deputy U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, confirmed that an investigation is ongoing and that no decision on charges has been made. Arrabaca could not be reached for comment.
Suspect's Background
According to officials, Arrabaca served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2005, where he serviced Patriot missile systems. Investigators traced the suspect to his home in Harlem on Monday. Authorities said he arrived in Midtown by subway on Sunday and spent the night on the street in Lower Manhattan before the incident.
"What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing," New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters. "I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody."
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