Two jerrycans filled with naphtha | Saint Patrick, the cat …

A man was arrested Wednesday night while he was trying to get in, loaded with two cans of naphtha and two lighters, in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. The 37-year-old resident of nearby New Jersey was seen by a security guard, who prevented him from entering and alerted two officers who were in front of the temple.

According to the authorities, the man reportedly told police that he simply intended to cross the cathedral to get to his vehicle, which was parked nearby and ran out of fuel. The agents nevertheless verified that the car had gasoline and, as the man's responses were unconvincing, they decided to stop it.

Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, John Miller, said at a press conference that the situation was "very suspicious", including two days after the devastating fire that hit the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris.

At the time of his arrest, the man was provided with two 7.5 liter (7.5 liter) gasoline cans each, two bottles of ignition fluid and two large lighters such as those usually used in kitchens. Then a third gasoline cartridge was recovered inside his vehicle.

The man was taken to a police station for questioning and, at first sight, there is no indication that it was a terrorist event, Miller said.

Authorities did not reveal the identity of those arrested, but the local media identified him as Marc Lamparello, a PhD student in the city's philosophy, citing police sources. Yesterday, the New York Post reported that the person had bought a one-way ticket to Rome tonight. In addition, according to this media, Lamparello allegedly got into trouble with the police last week in New Jersey, when he reportedly refused to leave a church in the city of Newark at the time of the closure, claiming that he had been arrested. he wanted to pray.

Lamparello had already been treated for psychiatric problems and his family stated that he was not currently taking any medication.