Brooklyn arson damages 11 NYPD vehicles; suspect linked to anti-ICE protests

At least 11 New York Police Department vehicles were damaged in an apparent arson incident at a secure parking lot in Brooklyn, according to officials and local media reports. The suspects, who remain at large, may be connected to anti-immigration enforcement demonstrations, according to city officials.

The incident occurred just after 1:30 a.m. on Thursday at a police lot located at DeKalb and Central avenues in Bushwick, roughly two blocks from the NYPD’s 83rd Precinct, according to ABC7 New York. Two people were seen fleeing the scene, and several of the burned vehicles appeared to have been vandalized, including shattered windows.

Officers also discovered undetonated explosive devices resembling M-80s placed on three additional vehicles nearby.

At a news conference, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a masked suspect dressed in all black entered the lot around 12:40 a.m., first attempting to access the area through a locked gate before scaling a fence. The suspect allegedly began setting the vehicles on fire using incendiary materials, including fire starter balls and haystack bundles placed across tires and windshields.

A police officer assigned to the area encountered the suspect during the act, prompting the individual to remove a piece of plywood and flee through an alleyway, Tisch said, according to Spectrum News NY. The role of the second person seen fleeing the scene remains unclear.

Mayor Eric Adams suggested a possible connection between the attack and recent protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Police believe this individual is linked to the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere,” Adams said, though he did not elaborate.

“This damage is unacceptable and we will find the person who is involved” the mayor said. “You can be a coward to burn property to damage property intentionally.”

No injuries were reported in the attack, and the investigation is ongoing.