'Today' suspect caught on camera before hate crime arrest, rap sheet reveals attempted kidnapping conviction
The man accused of a hate crime when he approached "Today" co-host Craig Melvin at NBC's Manhattan studio has a criminal record spanning at least two decades, with charges including attempted kidnapping and trespassing, according to court records.New York City police arrested Andrew Truelove, 41, last week after NBC says he snuck into a vestibule near Studio 1A in Rockefeller Center and approached Melvin.A review of footage from the show reveals a man resembling Truelove and wearing similar clothing was pictured in the background as early as 8:03 a.m.the day of the incident.
At 8:05 a.m., the man in the background took off a backpack and appeared to place it in or behind a bush outside the building.He could be seen multiple times until 8:34 a.m., when actress Anne Hathaway was on set to discuss her role in the latest adaption of "The Odyssey."'TODAY' SHOW INTRUDER IDENTIFIED AFTER ALLEGEDLY BREACHING SECURITY NEAR CRAIG MELVINAndrew Truelove was arrested after allegedly entering NBC's Rockefeller Center studios during a live broadcast of the Today show and shouting racist slurs at co-host Craig Melvin.
Authorities initially said he was looking for Al Roker.Security personnel quickly intervened and police took him into custody.
(Kevin C.Downs/Redux)According to the NYPD, Truelove was arrested at 8:57 a.m.
after he allegedly confronted Melvin with a racial slur in a private area of the building not open to the public.He was allegedly looking for Al Roker when he found Melvin instead.In October 2007, Truelove was accused of trying to abduct an 8-year-old from a school in Norfolk, Virginia.He was convicted at trial and sentenced to 10 years in prison, of which six were suspended, followed by 10 years on probation, court records show.GO HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE FROM THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAMA man resembling the suspect in the racial attack on "Today" co-host Craig Melvin appears in the background of the show on the morning of the July 16, 2026, attack at Rockefeller Cen...