Man caught with cans of gas outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York

A man has been taken into custody after he was caught trying to bring gas cans, lighter fluid, and lighters into the iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York Wednesday. The man, whom police have yet to name, was arrested by the New York Police Department after being stopped by security at the cathedral Wednesday night around 8 p.m., NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said at a Wednesday night press conference. The news comes just days after the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris was devastated by a massive fire engulfing the cultural and historic religious landmark.

Police allege the man pulled up in a minivan and got out before returning to the vehicle to retrieve two cans of gasoline, two bottles of lighter fluid, and two lighters. Authorities say he then headed for the more than 100-year-old church. “As he enters the cathedral, he is confronted by a cathedral security officer who asked him where he’s going, informs him he can't proceed into the cathedral carrying these things,” Miller said. “At that point some gasoline apparently had spilled out onto the floor.” Two counterterrorism officers eventually found the man. Miller said his answers were “inconsistent and evasive.” NYPD posted a photo of the seized items to Twitter, writing: “Around 7:55pm, a man walked into St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan with gas cans and lighter fluid, and was subsequently apprehended by @NYPDCT without incident. We thank our partners for their help, and remember - if you see something, say something.”

The suspect alleged that his car was out of gas and he was cutting through the cathedral, but police said that after inspecting his car they found that to be untrue. Miller said the man in custody was known to police and, “It's hard to say exactly what his intentions were.” The FBI’s joint terrorism task force is involved “out of an abundance of caution,” Miller said, and police still don’t know the man’s mindset or motive.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/man-caught-with-cans-of-gas-outside-st-patricks-cathedral-in-new-york

https://twitter.com/NYPDMTN/status/1118715043863048192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw