Man With Gas Cans, Lighter Fluid Tried Entering St. Patrick's: PD

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A man carrying nearly four galons of gasoline, lighter fluid and lighters was taken into custody after entering St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown Wednesday night, the NYPD said. The incident occurred the same week a fire heavily damaged the iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

The man entered the cathedral around 7:55 p.m. At a press briefing, Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said the man pulled up to the cathedral in a minivan and walked around the area before returning to the car and entering the cathedral.

A security officer at the cathedral asked the man where he was going and informed him that he could not enter carrying those items, Miller said. At this time, some gasoline spilled onto the floor.

The church employee informed police who were able to find the individual. Police said the man told officers he was cutting through the church to get to Madison Avenue and that his car had run out of gas. Officers checked the man's car and found that it had not run out of fuel.

Miller said the man was "inconsistent and evasive" in his statements to police. He is currently being questioned by cops.

Asked if terror was being considered as a motive, Miller said it was too early to say.

"But I think the totality of circumstances of an individual walking into an iconic location like St. Patrick's Cathedral, carrying over four galons of gasoline, two bottles of lighter fluid and lighters is something that we would have great concern over," Miller said.

Miller reiterated that the man's story was inconsistent.

"I think if you add to that the events in the iconic location of the fire in Notre Dame this week and all the publicity around that," Miller added.