FOX10 Phoenix published on Apr 17, 2019: A man carrying what looked like a pair of gasoline canisters tried walking into St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday night, authorities said.
Security at the iconic Catholic cathedral confronted the man and called the police.
The NYPD mobilized dozens of officers to investigate what appeared to be a potentially alarming incident given both New York's status as a target of terrorism and the catastrophic fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this week.
Sharing a mix of breaking news, Arizona stories, engaging discussions, and popular culture. #StPatricksCathedral #NYC
CBS News published on Apr 18, 2019: Marc Lamparello, 37, was arrested Wednesday after entering St. Patrick's Cathedral carrying two cans of gasoline, lighter fluid and butane lighters. He has been charged with attempted arson, reckless endangerment and trespassing, according to police. CBSN New York's Natalie Duddrige reports.
CBS News published on Apr 18, 2019: NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill and Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller share update on last night's arson attempt at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
— Global Awareness 101 (@Mononoke__Hime) April 18, 2019"A man lugging two gasoline cans strode into historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown on Wednesday, and was collared by two NYPD counter-terrorism officers, cop sources said."https://t.co/3MO0iL8xw3
North Jersey Record, NewJersey.com
written by Rodrigo Torrejon
Friday April 19, 2019
The same day a fire nearly destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral, a Hasbrouck Heights man was arrested for allegedly refusing to leave the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, in Newark.
Just two days later, that same man, Marc Lamparello, was arrested in St. Patrick's Cathedral, in New York, carrying two gas cans, two bottles of lighter fluid and two lighters, police said.
Here's what we know.
How he was found in St. Patrick's
At about 8 p.m. Wednesday, Lamparello walked into the cathedral with four gallons of gasoline, lighter fluid and lighters, police said.
When he was stopped by security and told he could not come in with those items, Lamparello put one of the cans down, spilling some gasoline on the floor. When he left, the usher alerted the counterterrorism bureau critical response command striker team.
During questioning Wednesday night, Lamparello told police his minivan had run out of gas and that he was cutting through the cathedral to get to Madison Avenue, police said. When police checked Lamparello's car, it was not out of gas, police said.
The incident does not appear to be terrorism-related, said John Miller, deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism of the New York City Police Department, during a press conference Thursday. At no point did Lamparello refer to the Notre Dame fire, police said.
Who is Marc Lamparello?
Lamparello, 37, is a college professor who lives in Hasbrouck Heights. He graduated from Boston College, police said. He is currently a CUNY student seeking a Ph.D. in philosophy.
Lamparello lives in the two-story Berkshire Road home with his parents, said Dolores, his mother. A family friend Salvatore Altomare described the Lamparellos as a good, religious family.
Lamparello was not always at the Berkshire Road home, but Altomare recalled him and his brother Adam going with their parents to St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in East Rutherford. To Altomare, there were no hints of dysfunction in Lamparello.
Lamparello was an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University and part-time professor at Lehman College.
A Seton Hall spokeswoman said he started in spring 2018 but is no longer part of the faculty, though she could not confirm whether he has been fired.
Lamparello taught online at Lehman starting in the 2018-19 academic year.
Although Altomare described the family as devoutly Catholic, Lamparello's mother Dolores described the family as "regular Catholics."
Previous church incident
Lamparello's arrest in New York was just two days after he was arrested for reportedly refusing to leave the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.
At about 10 p.m. Monday, Lamparello arrived at the cathedral, removing his cap, blessing himself and sitting down in one of the front pews, said Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura.
When officers approached Lamparello later in the night, Lamparello refused to leave, despite repeated requests, Fontoura said.
Even after an assistant bishop and a priest held special prayers with Lamparello, he refused to leave, throwing himself on the floor and telling police that the only way he would leave was in handcuffs.
Lamparello was ultimately charged with trespassing, obstructing the administration of law and resisting arrest, Fontoura said. He was due in court May 1.
One-way ticket to Rome
While it is unclear why Lamparello went into St. Patrick's Cathedral and what he would have done had he not been apprehended, he had already cancelled class and had booked a flight out of the country.
Lamparello had purchased a $2,800 one-way airplane ticket to Rome, from Newark Liberty International Airport. The flight was scheduled to leave Thursday evening.
He was also scheduled to teach at Seton Hall on Wednesday night but canceled through an email that said he was sick, according to Seton Hall's student newspaper, The Setonian.
UPDATE: Marc Lamparello, 37, of New Jersey, has been charged with Attempted Arson, Reckless Endagerment and Trespassing. https://t.co/PYuOrqo1zS— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 18, 2019
👇 THIS IS RELATED SIMILAR NEWS BELOW. 👇
A Homeless Man Was Arrested After Trying To Set American Flag On Fire At St. Patrick’s Catholic Church In Miami Beach, Cops Say, On Same Day New Jersey Man Arrested For Attempted Arson At St. Patrick's Cathedral In New York.https://t.co/6b4iDHcD8f— Global Awareness 101 (@Mononoke__Hime) April 20, 2019
Miami Herald
written by Carli Teproff
Thursday April 18, 2019
During the Wednesday morning Mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Miami Beach, Anthony Henstchel “began to disrupt the service,” and was asked to leave, police say.
But instead of walking out, he took out lighter and tried to burn the American flag that was on display next to a religious flag and a statue covered in cloth, as part of the Lenten period, according to a police report.
Henstchel, 38, was arrested and charged with attempted arson.
“There are visible burn marks to the tassels on the end of the flag,” an officer wrote in Henstchel’s arrest report. “The close proximity of all these items presented a danger, had only one of these items caught on fire it would have caused all of them to be ablaze.”
The police department was called to the church, but Henstchel, who is homeless, was gone when officers arrived. He was found shortly after and arrested.
The attempted arson, came the same day as a college philosophy teacher was arrested for going into St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York with two cans of gasoline, lighter fluid and butane lighters.
No comments:
Post a Comment