The U.S.Army veteran accused of setting a fire outside a New York City federal building that houses an immigration court and other government agencies, including the FBI, and firing a pellet gun, will face an arson charge related to the Monday incident.Andrew Arrabaca, 43, appeared in a Manhattan federal court Tuesday for his alleged actions outside 26 Federal Plaza.
He did not enter a plea.Arrabaca, who served as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems in the Army, harbored anti-ICE and anti-government views, James Barnacle, assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York Field Office, said Monday.FBI ARRESTS PROTESTER WHO THREATENED TO KILL ICE OFFICER'S FAMILY AT NJ DETENTION CENTER PROTEST, BLANCHE SAYSAuthorities apprehended individual outside a federal building in New York City.(FNTV)"He is an anti-American, anti-government extremist," Barnacle told reporters at the scene.Voter records show he has registered as a Democrat and was a member of the left-wing Working Families party.Arrabaca "came armed with bad intentions" and was found with a range of weapons, including a pellet gun, knives, a hammer, and a machete.
Authorities said the upstate New York resident arrived at the federal building sometime around 8:30 a.m.and lit a large firework before pouring a liquid that ignited a fire.Videos and images from the scene showed a fire with a plume of smoke and bright orange flames near a building entrance, as well as law enforcement officers restraining the suspect.VIDEO SHOWS MOMENT CHICAGO MAN ALLEGEDLY USED SUV AS WEAPON AGAINST ICE AGENT, PROSECUTORS SAYIn addition to allegedly setting the fire, Arrabaca also fired five to seven pellets from an airsoft rifle toward the building, Barnacle said.
He was arrested by federal officials a short time later and has been in custody since.He made several anti-government and anti-ICE statements during the incident and said "he was okay if he hurt or killed people going in and out of the building, whether they were feder...