The Federal Bureau Of Investigation said Andrew Arrabaca, a 43-year-old former U.S. Army soldier, started a fire outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan with gasoline and a firework on Monday morning. He was taken into custody after a Federal Protective Service police officer tackled him, and the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating what happened next.
Andrew Arrabaca and 26 Federal Plaza
James Barnacle, FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle, said, "Mr. Arrabaca came armed, with bad intentions". Barnacle also said, "26 Federal Plaza has long been a target of extremist acts of terror. Today, the extremist was brought here".
Officials said Arrabaca served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2005 and worked as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems. They said he had two axes, a hammer, a machete and knives, in addition to fireworks and gasoline.
Lower Manhattan before Monday
Officials said he took a subway train from Harlem to the Penn Station area, then stayed overnight near the Holland Tunnel. Around 5 a.m., he went to the area near 26 Federal Plaza, and around 8 a.m. he moved to the spot where he later started the fire. Police said the fire began around 8:30 a.m. Monday.
He doused a stairwell with gasoline, ignited it with a firework and sent flames and smoke up the facade of the building, the FBI said. The flames quickly spread but were put out before they reached the building where immigrants are processed and FBI and ICE officers are located.
Minor injuries in the incident
Officials said one civilian and two government employees suffered minor injuries. Barnacle said, "He did say he was targeting the building and did say he was OK with" people getting hurt whether they were federal employees or civilians. The NYPD said it was looking at the cart the suspect wheeled with him, which had a sign reading ICE Off Our Streets.
Official charges have yet to be filed. The case now sits with the federal investigation, which will shape what allegations follow and whether prosecutors treat the fire, the weapons and the stated target as part of one case or more than one count.
