(New York) A man suspected of voluntarily setting fire to the giant Christmas tree which stands in front of the headquarters of the American television station Fox News was arrested Wednesday by the New York police (NYPD).
The 49-year-old individual is now being prosecuted for “arson” after being caught around midnight (5 am GMT Wednesday) climbing the structure supporting this illuminated 15-meter-high tree installed in front of the building of the conservative chain American, in the heart of Manhattan.
This tree was then set ablaze, as shown in impressive television footage from last night.
The man arrested had a “lighter” on him but police do not know if he used any “catalyst” to ignite the fire, which the New York firefighters will have to determine the cause, according to the NYPD.
The fire was quickly brought under control and no one was injured.
The suspect’s motive has not yet been identified, but Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott in a statement denounced a “malicious attack by arson.”
Criticizing a “deliberate, impudent and cowardly act”, the head of the large conservative American television channel promised that a new tree would be erected shortly in the same place, at the intersection of the 6e avenue and 48e rue, as “a message of peace, light and joy, even in a (also) dark moment”.
According to Fox News, the 15-meter-tall tree was “decorated with some 10,000 glass ornaments and 100,000 small lights.”
The spectacular fire occurred just blocks from another giant Christmas tree lit up since early December in front of Rockefeller Center, one of New York’s top tourist attractions for the holiday season.