Brooklyn woman arrested in connection with suspected arson at a Jewish school
Surveillance video shows a woman pouring gasoline outside of Yashiva of Flatbush on October 14
By Amir Vera and Laura Studley, CNN
The New York Police Department arrested a 39-year-old Brooklyn woman Sunday in connection with a suspected arson at the Jewish school Yeshiva of Flatbush, according to a tweet from the department.
The incident took place Thursday around 7:30 p.m. when police said a woman poured gasoline in front of the Yeshiva and lit it on fire. A security guard for the building saw the fire and doused it with water, extinguishing the fire before it could grow.
There were no injuries as a result of this incident, police said.
The Brooklyn woman was charged with reckless endangerment as a hate crime and fifth-degree arson, police said. NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force (HCTF) detectives, assisted by Manhattan/Queens Warrants arrested the woman, according to the department’s tweet.
“We’re extremely grateful that the matter was taken really seriously by the NYPD and so many elected officials. And I believe they have someone in custody, which is a relief. … It makes everyone feel safer,” Rabbi Joseph Beyda, head of the Yeshiva, told CNN Sunday.
It was not immediately known if the woman had legal representation. A spokesperson for Legal Aid provided no comment on the matter.
The arrest comes as hate crime incidents against Jewish people have risen by 46% in the last year, according to the latest NYPD HCTF statistics, released October 10.
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