A 63-year-old man who inexplicably set himself on fire Friday in the lobby of a Lower Manhattan office building has been arrested and charged with arson, the New York Police Department (NYPD) announced Saturday.
John Butch is charged with lighting himself on fire with the help of a “lighter accelerant” in the lobby of a building that houses Google on Hudson Street around 3 p.m. Friday, police told news outlets.
Butch has also been charged with criminal mischief and reckless endangerment, according to the NYPD.
So far, it remains a mystery as to why the man tried to burn himself to death.
After Butch allegedly lit himself up, multiple people called 911 and first responders rushed him to Weill Cornell Medical Center, officials told the New York Post.
Google reportedly occupies more than 410,000 square feet of the ten-story building. NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, which investigates police misconduct, also has an office there.
“We are aware of an incident that occurred today in the lobby at 315 Hudson, a building we share with other tenants,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement Friday. “While the individual appeared to be seeking access to another tenant’s space in the building, we remain in close contact with local authorities.”
“We are grateful to first responders,” the spokesperson added.
Butch is receiving burn treatment at the medical center and was listed in stable condition, according to the Post.
Police confirmed Butch is not an NYPD employee.
Breitbart contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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