Suspect charged over fire outside 26 Federal Plaza in NYC

The U.S. Army veteran who fired a BB rifle at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City and ignited flammable liquid and fireworks outside a busy entrance, has been charged with a federal crime, according to prosecutors.

Andrew Arrabaca, 43, of Poughkeepsie, appeared in federal court on Tuesday. He is charged with destroying federal property by fire or explosives and causing injury or a substantial risk of injury.

The attack happened at about 8:30 a.m. Monday outside the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Lower Manhattan. The building houses offices for the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, as well as a federal immigration court.

The suspect set off several fireworks in front of the building and fired a BB rifle in its direction. He then poured a bucket of flammable liquid outside one of the entrances and ignited it, creating a fireball just feet from several people.

He then returned to a utility wagon he had brought to the area, retrieved a box of fireworks and threw it into the flames. Officers apprehended him moments before an explosion sounded from the direction of the fire.

One civilian and two government employees suffered minor injuries. The civilian, an immigrant who was scheduled to attend an immigration hearing, suffered a gash to the back of the head after apparently being struck by debris.

Arrabaca was wearing camouflage pants, tactical pouches containing BB pellets and carbon dioxide cartridges, and a helmet bearing several phrases, including “Kill yourself.” A concealed bag contained a knife and matches.

Police searched his wagon and found a BB rifle, a pellet rifle, a machete, two hatchets, a mallet, a hammer and several fireworks. One was a multi-shot firework labeled “Nuclear Warhead.” A sign on the wagon read “ICE Off Our Streets.”

During an interview after his arrest, Arrabaca said he acted because of anti-government beliefs and thought authorities were unlawfully harming people, according to the complaint. He said he chose the entrance because he had previously seen that it was busy.

Officials said Arrabaca served in the U.S. Army from 2001 until 2005 as a repairman for Patriot missile systems.

If convicted, Arrabaca faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years.