Andrew Arrabaca,a 43-year-vintage Army veteran, faces arson charges after allegedly detonating an incendiary device near 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. Prosecutors say he planned the attack for months and identified as an anti-government extremist. The inciDent involved a flammable liquid, fireworks, and a pellet gun,resulting in a small fire and minor injuries. Arrabaca, who was armed with multiple weapons and a protest sign, claimed during his arrest that he was willing to die for his actions. A federal judge ordered him to be evaluated in jail rather than a Veterans Health facility, citing concerns about his willingness to engage with mental health services. The attack targeted a building with hundreds of federal employees, a daycare,and a post office, raising serious safety concerns.
Andrew Arrabaca, a 43-year-vintage Army veteran, was charged with arson in connection with the detonation of an incendiary device the day prior near 26 Federal Plaza.
Arrabaca appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, where prosecutors alleged he had plotted the attack for months. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Fry noted Arrabaca understood his actions could have harmed others and that he was willing to accept his own death in carrying out the attack. According to authorities, Arrabaca was arrested after he dumped an unknown liquid on the ground and then lit fireworks on top of it, causing a little fire.
After igniting the liquid, Arrabaca fired between five and seven rounds fRom a pellet gun. During the incident and his subsequent arrest, Arrabaca said he was an 'anti-American, anti-government extremist.
' He was charged with arson or explosion causing damage to U.S. government property, which carries a minimum sentence of seven years in prison. He was not required to enter a plea during his court appearance. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky rejected Arrabaca's lawyer's request that his client be sent to a locked ward at a Veterans Health Administration facility for a mental health evaluation, instead ordering the suspect be evaluated at a federal lockup in Brooklyn.
The judge acknowledged Arrabaca's service and apparent illness but cited concerns about his compliance with treatment, noting he had previously been offered mental health services but did not accept them. Arrabaca's lawyers argued he was suicidal, pointing to the military-style helmet he wore during the attack. He also had two axes, three fixed-blade knives, a hammer, a machete, and a wagon affixed with a sign that said 'ICE Off Our Streets' with him during his arrest.
Prosecutors pushed for jail over hospitalization or release, noting that while only a few individuals sustained minor injuries, the attack could have ended much more tragically at a building where hundreds of federal employees work,parents depart children at a daycare and residents use a post office inside. Prosecutors too pointed out that Arrabaca had been prescribed mental health medication in 2020 but stopped taking it about a year later.
The judge noted the crime was troubling,given its planned nature and the potential for significant harm
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