Search for suspect in setting fire to 11 police patrol cars in Brooklyn
The investigation continues and authorities ask anyone with information to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline.
The New York police are searching for a 21-year-old New Jersey man suspected of setting fire to 11 police vehicles in Brooklyn on June 12, in what authorities describe as the first of two arson attacks that occurred in the same week.
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), the subject jumped a fence around 1:00 a.m. and placed fire starters on the windshields, hoods, and tires of several vehicles parked in a police lot in Bushwick, just a block from a police station. The incident was captured on surveillance cameras. Fortunately, no vehicles were occupied and there were no injuries.
The suspect remains at large, but authorities released photos and a video to ask for the public's help.
Two days later, last Wednesday, a lighter was found in a police van in Williamsburg, also in Brooklyn. Although the device was a different brand, the modus operandi was similar, said Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Police are also investigating other ties to the suspect, who has a recent criminal record. He was arrested on May 28 in Manhattan during a pro-Palestinian protest, charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, and has another assault case pending in Queens, dating back to May 2024. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.
The NYPD also links him to the vandalism of a statue on the Columbia University campus last September. Authorities say he disguised himself as a student and caused more than $1,000 in damages.
While Mayor Eric Adams suggested the suspect may be linked to protests related to former President Trump's immigration policies, police have not yet confirmed any political motive.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline.

