Man Arrested After Lighting Fire and Firing BB Gun Outside Federal Building Housing ICE Office

Andrew Arrabaca was arrested Monday after he set a fire and fired a BB rifle outside 26 Federal Plaza, the New York Post reported, and federal prosecutors said he had visited several other sites in New York City in recent months while carrying weapons.

He appeared in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday and was ordered held without bail on the arson charge. The building houses the ICE New York field office and immigration courts, and a BB rifle was recovered at the scene.

Arrabaca, a Poughkeepsie native, wore a military-style helmet bearing a suicidal message during the incident, his defense attorney said. He also set off fireworks, shot a pellet gun several times, and carried a machete, two axes, a hammer and other weapons at the time of arrest. The arson charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted.

Defense attorney Jennifer Brown told the court that Arrabaca understood he might die and that a mental health issue appeared to be involved.