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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s 83rd Precinct, according to ABC7 New York<\/a>. Two people were seen fleeing the scene, and several of the burned vehicles appeared to have been vandalized, including shattered windows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Officers also discovered undetonated explosive devices resembling M-80s placed on three additional vehicles nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/a>. The role of the second person seen fleeing the scene remains unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mayor Eric Adams suggested a possible connection between the attack and recent protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). \u201cPolice believe this individual is linked to the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere,\u201d Adams said, though he did not elaborate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis damage is unacceptable and we will find the person who is involved\u201d the mayor said. \u201cYou can be a coward to burn property to damage property intentionally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No injuries were reported in the attack, and the investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n