NEW YORK (AP) — An arson charge was lodged Tuesday against a former Army soldier who was detained without bail after a prosecutor said he gave investigators a lengthy confession detailing his fiery attack on a federal building in Manhattan that houses immigration court proceedings.
Andrew Arrabaca, 43, was charged in Manhattan federal court a day after the attack at 26 Federal Plaza that injured three people when authorities say he set off a sidewalk fire, ignited fireworks and fired a pellet gun before security officers subdued him. The building is two blocks from the courthouse.
kAmpCC23242[ 2 &]$] 4:E:K6?[ 2AA62C65 367@C6 &]$] |28:DEC2E6 yF586 #@3J? u] %2C?@7D>65:2E6=J 4@?5F4E65 2 32:= 962C:?8]k^Am
kAm!C@D64FE@C $2>2?E92 uCJ FC865 56E6?E:@? H:E9@FE 32:=[ D2J:?8 pCC23242 😀 2 52?86C E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 2 7=:89E C:D<] $96 D2:5 pCC23242[ H9:=6 =:G:?8 😕 9:D 42C[ 925 A=2??65 E96 2EE24< D:?46 y2?F2CJ[ 3FJ:?8 DFAA=:6D 😕 FADE2E6 }6H *@C< :?4=F5:?8 H62A@?D DF49 2D EH@ 92E496ED[ 2 >2==6E[ 2 92>>6C 2?5 7:C6H@C
kAm$96 ?@E65 E92E @?=J 2 76H A6@A=6 H6C6 :?;FC65[ 3FE D2:5 QE9:D 2EE24< 4@F=5 92G6 6?565 >F49 >@C6 EC28:42==J” 2E 2 3F:=5:?8 H96C6 9F?5C65D @7 7656C2= 6>A=@J66D H@C<] $96 D2:5 E96 6G:56?46 H2D @G6CH96=>:?8 @? 2 492C86 E92E 42CC:6D 2 A@E6?E:2= >2?52E@CJ >:?:>F> @7 D6G6? J62CD 😕 AC:D@?]k^Am
kAms676?D6 =2HJ6C y6??:76C qC@H? FC865 E92E pCC23242 D9@F=5 36 C6=62D65 :?E@ 2 ‘6E6C2?D w62=E9 p5>:?:DEC2E:@? =@4<65\H2C5 ADJ49:2EC:4 6G2=F2E:@? AC@8C2>[ D2J:?8 E92E 96 92D ?@ 4C:>:?2= 9:DE@CJ 2?5 92D =@?8 366? 2 C6D:56?E @7 }6H *@C< H:E9 2 =@?8 9:DE@CJ @7 6>A=@J>6?E F?E:= C646?E=J]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D 2? F?56C=J:?8 >6?E2= 962=E9 :DDF6 8@:?8 @? 96C6[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmqC@H? D2:5 pCC23242 :?E6?565 E@ 52>286 AC@A6CEJ C2E96C E92? A6@A=6] uCJ :?D:DE65 E92E pCC23242[ 5FC:?8 9:D =6?8E9J 4@?76DD:@? E@ :?G6DE:82E@CD[ 56E2:=65 H92E 96 5:5 2?5 H9J 2?5 “H2D 2H2C6 A6@A=6 4@F=5 36 9FCE 2?5 H2D H:==:?8 E@ 2446AE E9:D C:D<]”k^Am
kAm%96 3F:=5:?8 92D 366? 2 9F3 @7 AC@E6DED 282:?DE !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^:>>:8C2E:@?Qm:>>:8C2E:@? 4C24<5@H?k^2m]k^Am
kAmpE 2 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46 |@?52J[ 2FE9@C:E:6D D2:5 E92E pCC23242[ H62C:?8 2 >:=:E2CJ\DEJ=6 96=>6E[ 5C28865 2 42CE 762EFC:?8 2 D:8? E92E D2:5 “xrt ~77 ~FC $EC66ED” FA E@ 2? 6>A=@J66 6?EC2?46 2E E96 3F:=5:?8 367@C6 :8?:E:?8 2 =2C86 7:C6H@C<] w6 E96? 7:C65 D6G6C2= 2:CD@7E C:7=6 A6==6ED 2E E96 3F:=5:?8 2?5 :8?:E65 82D@=:?6 96V5 DAC625 @? E96 D:56H2=<]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D DF35F65 2?5 2AAC696?565 3J EH@ u656C2= !C@E64E:G6 $6CG:46 @77:46CD 2?5 2 D64FC:EJ 4@?EC24E@C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ y2>6D q2C?24=6[ H9@ =625D E96 uqx’D }6H *@C< 7:6=5 @77:46]k^Am
kAmq2C?24=6 D2:5 pCC23242[ 7@C>6C=J 2 C6D:56?E @7 w2C=6> 2?5 !@F89<66AD:6[ >256 “2?E:\8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 2?E:\p>6C:42? DE2E6>6?ED” 2D 96 H2D 2CC6DE65 2?5 E@=5 :?G6DE:82E@CD E92E 96 5:5?VE 42C6 :7 96 <:==65 A6@A=6]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 E96 uqxVD y@:?E %6CC@C:D> %2D< u@C46 H2D :?G6DE:82E:?8[ q2C?24=6 5:5 ?@E =236= E96 2EE24< E6CC@C:D>]k^Am
kAm%H@ 8@G6C?>6?E 6>A=@J66D 2?5 2 4:G:=:2? H9@ H2D 8@:?8 E@ :>>:8C2E:@? 4@FCE H6C6 :?;FC65[ 2=@?8 H:E9 2 3JDE2?56C H9@ H2D 8C2K65 3J E96 7:C6H@C
kAmq2C?24=6 D2:5 pCC23242[ H9@ C6A2:C65 !2EC:@E >:DD:=6 DJDE6>D 😕 E96 pC>J 7C@> a__` E@ a__d[ 56C:565 xrt H:E9 AC@72?:E:6D 5FC:?8 9:D 2CC6DE] x? 255:E:@? E@ E96 A6==6E 8F?[ q2C?24=6 D2:5[ pCC23242 925 EH@ 2I6D[ E9C66 7:I65\3=256 >6C 2?5 2 >2496E6] p? pC>J DA@<6DA6CD@? D2:5 pCC23242 925 ?@ 56A=@J>6?ED 2?5 =67E E96 pC>J 2D 2 DA64:2=:DE[ :?4=F5:?8 2 @?6\J62C DE:?E 😕 E96 pC>J }2E:@?2= vF2C5\}6H *@C<]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmpDD@4:2E65 !C6DD HC:E6C z@?DE2?E:? %@C@A:? 😕 (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.