Skip to Content

Brooklyn woman arrested in connection with suspected arson at a Jewish school

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.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

Article Topic Follows: CNN – National

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

News Channel 3-12 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content