The U.S. Army veteran held by authorities and charged with arson for allegedly setting fire outside of a federal building in Manhattan on Monday had some time before he was apprehended by security services.
Andrew Arrabaca, who authorities say is 43 and lives in Poughkeepsie, New York, arrived wearing military-style gear and pulling a cart containing weapons outside 26 Federal Plaza, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies have offices.
Within the space of about 30 seconds, a cellphone video shows, Arrabaca appeared to run with a bucket to the front of an entrance, douse the building steps with gas and spark a fire before Federal Protective Services and a security contractor apprehended him. The video was included in a Spectrum News broadcast.
Arrabaca also allegedly fired several shots from a pellet rifle, according to reports.
That amount of time suggests the building’s security operation uses a passive camera system, says Michael Evanoff, global chief security officer and strategic advisor at security technology company Verkada.
“It took some time to identify it as a real-time active threat,” Evanoff told Facilities Dive. “A visually proactive AI system … would identify abnormal behavior and then the act itself simultaneously.”
The U.S. General Services Administration, which owns and manages 26 Federal Plaza, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
As the location for an ICE office and a federal immigration court, the 41-story building has been the site of high-profile protests, including one last year resulting in the arrest of Brad Lander, a former city comptroller and congressional candidate, for obstructing an elevator.
Authorities said Arrabaca’s cart contained an anti-ICE slogan and that he had made anti-government remarks after he had been apprehended.
“In that post-arrest interview, he did say he was targeting the building, and he was okay if he hurt or killed people going in and out of the building,” James Barnacle, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said after Arrabaca’s apprehension.
The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday charged Arrabaca with one count of arson in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Three people were reportedly hurt during the incident, including one person whose head was gashed from debris from the fire or explosion, according to reports. Several people were inside the building, near the entryway, when the fire was ignited, images in the indictment show.
AI-assisted camera systems send out alerts when they detect something that fits a pattern that can be construed as suspicious, like loitering, Evanoff told Facilities Dive last year.
“Loitering is a precursor to sometimes a bad situation,” he said.
Arrabaca had been looking at 26 Federal Plaza since January, according to a Fox News report.
“Arrabaca allegedly told law enforcement that he went to several other sites around the city bringing materials and considered attacking them,” the report said. “After months, he decided to attack the federal building near the courthouse.”
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praised the federal officers and security contractor for their quick work. “Their prompt actions kept people safe and helped apprehend the suspect,” Schumer posted on Facebook.
