Police Arrest Suspect For Arson At 9/11 Victims Chapel Fire

NEW YORK — A man was arrested Saturday on suspicion of setting a small fire at the temporary home for the remains of thousands of World Trade Center victims, police said.

Police announced the arrest nearly 12 hours after the fire, which was set following a break-in. Charges against the 26-year-old were pending, police said.

The smoldering flames in a section of the facility's chapel on Manhattan's East Side were quickly extinguished.

Firefighters got a call at about 9 a.m. to respond to Memorial Park, a weatherproof tent on Manhattan's East Side where the city is storing the remains of 9/11 victims who have yet to be identified.

The fire damaged a wooden bench, while mementos – pictures, notes, flowers – honoring the dead disappeared.

"Anyone who would set fire to the inviolable Memorial Park chapel is craven and contemptible," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement.

Fire marshals and police were investigating.

Nazli Parvizi, the mayor's community affairs commissioner, sent 9/11 families an e-mail informing them of the incident. Sally Regenhard, whose son perished at the World Trade Center, forwarded the statement to The Associated Press.

Parvizi told the families that about an hour before the fire started, a break-in was discovered in the chapel. Memorial Park is near the city medical examiner's office, which created special photo IDs to be used by families to enter the site.

Authorities were unsure whether the mementos had been stolen or burned, "but little remains inside the chapel," said Parvizi, adding that the structure showed some smoke damage.

Comments

[JBVT]

Haven't the Twin towers been replaced?

It's been years...

[Alvin4NY]

Gee, now that this mystery is solved, maybe now we can find out what happened to Building Seven.

[SchmataHari]

THANK YOU......

[flacojohn]

Mr. Schroeder is a frat boy, heavily involved with gay organizations, and edited a Latino review at Harvard Law.

[DonRoberto]

Have a clue. It was Ann Coulter, in the Chapel, with a Lighter.

[SchmataHari]

did you know that "ANN COULTER" is an anagram? Hint- the first word is "LOANER"

[DonRoberto]

LOL

[Kasado]

I wonder what the charges will be? Arson, theft, distruction of property, terrorism? Or is he/she just another citizen unwilling to believe the story created by the WH and mass media to explain away 911 and justify war. Poor way to express doubts and anger, but it made the news.

[MrMilk]

Even poorer follow-up by you...

No news!

[mendocoaster]

This is so sad. I had no idea that they were still sorting through remains for i.d. and that they were stored in a tent. So sad to lose the pictures and momento's.....so sorry for yet another loss.

(How is it that 8 years later this is going on)?

[MaybeMilo]

Well, since it was violated it obviously wasn't "inviolable."

People are nuts.

[mojo1372]

isn't it sad that there is a tent used for a chapel for the families to visit here we are 8 years later there is no reson for this .The whole business with the pit is money and greed when it comes down to it it has never been about the memorial it is such a shame . I am wondering why no news out lets even here in ny are not saying the guys name they usually come right out with it .I hope the cops kicked his a*s when they got a hold of him . how can anyone be so insensitive to what these families went thru and so disrespectful to the people who died on 9-11. I live in Ny and did not her this mentioned today I heard about it thru news on the internet . I think this tent is up near the medical examiners office
where everything has been kept til they can give thes poor souls a final resting place at the memorial
at ground zero . hey you construction companies its time to put the petal to the metal l and get these people put to rest .common guys they put the empire state building up in no time because theworkers were determined to finish it lets see some of the good old fashion american elbow grease.may those souls rest in peace .

[jbrantow]

"isn't it sad that there is a tent used for a chapel for the families to visit here we are 8 years"......
It's Obama's fault! It's Obama's fault !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... I can hear the tr0.lls now.

[jon86]

No kidding, "Its been nine months, how do you like your hope and change." Pretty soon 9/11 will be Obama's fault too.

[bluejoni2525]

A tent is a really disgraceful place for unidentified remains.

[MrsFonebone]

Agree. This is shocking. The only good that comes out of this arson is that perhaps the remains will be put somewhere other than a damn tent!

[Agent86]

The same aliens from the planet zombo that felled WTC7 came back because one of them forgot his wallet.

They had lit a match because it was dark &, well... you know the rest.

[exile]

they arrested the guy who did it
....but didn't report in this story what his name was

i wonder why?

hmmmmmmmmmm


ann coulter
no couldn't be him

[LHoney]

She was busy elsewhere... it's halloween you know

[AndyGra]

I believe your accompanying picture to this article somewhat inflames its importance. This incident has nothing to do with the disaster of the 9/11 event, but is an act of vandalism.

[rinpochet]

A TENT!!!! And it is EIGHT years since the attack???? A memorial should have been erected as the dust cleared and that is where these remains should have been housed. It is unforgivable that there is still nothing but an ugly canyon in the ground to commemorate those who died.

[Sing Out and Slap Iron]

It's truly contemptible that this project is still in it's infancy. The posturing and money-grubbing has become sickening. Maybe a threat of using eminent domain and seizing the project might help get it jump-started. We should be talking about an opening soon, not hearing about a chapel in a freaking tent.

[Epiphany2b]

I don't think it was ever intended to be a memorial of any kind, just a storage place for un-identified bodies. Most probably they had no idea that they would be there this long. It wouldn't make much sense to build a permanent structure for a function such as this. Perhaps the city could have provided a better place, but if it is a Federal function, there would be protocols to follow to build on city land, and if it's not going to be a permanent building for a specific function, not much point. Being the devil's advocate here.

[colorperdaughter]

A tent? After all the money doled out to prevent lawsuits, they are keeping body parts and historical items in a tent? An unguarded tent???

[Pem3]

That person is not going to have a fun time in jail if his charges get out, there are a lot of people in there who were hit hard that day.