Accused West Village LGBTQ Center Arsonist Faces Hate Crime Charge: DA

GREENWICH VILLAGE, NY — A man accused of setting a fire in a West Village LGBTQ+ Community Center as part of a biased arsonist's spree was indicted Tuesday on hate crime charges, the Manhattan District Attorney's office said.

Alex Blodgett stands accused of setting more than a dozen downtown Manhattan fires — including at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center at 208 West 13th St. — in a single night in August 2021, prosecutors said.

“Hate has no place here in Manhattan and New Yorkers of all backgrounds deserve to feel safe,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

"As alleged, this individual left a wake of physical destruction but also made an entire community unsafe because he targeted LGBTQIA+ establishments."

Blodgett tied a rag to the door of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center and set it on fire just after 1 a.m. on Aug. 16, 2021, prosecutors contend.

Blodgett also set fire to a large potted plant and a trash can in front of the center, according to the District Attorney's office.

He then made his way to the Atlas Social Club, a gay bar in Hell's Kitchen, and threw multiple rocks at the window of the bar, the DA's office said.

Blodgett is accused of setting 14 fires that night, including one that burned down the outdoor dining shed at the restaurant LouLou in Chelsea, according to a New York Post report.

He was caught and arrested shortly after setting the fire at LouLou, authorities said.

Blodgett was originally arraigned in 2021, but charges were updated after investigators found he'd posted hate speech on his Facebook account, according to prosectutors.

The "anti-gay animus, particularly towards gay men and establishments geared for the LGBTQIA+ community," spurred prosecutors to add enhanced hate crimes to the charges, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

Blodgett was also charged with multiple counts of arson and criminal mischief, city records show.