A woman has been arrested in Atlanta for attempting to burn down Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home.
26-year-old Laneisha Shantrice Henderson is being charged with second-degree arson and interfering with government property. Her mental health is under investigation, and federal charges might follow.
According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, two NYPD officers and two Utah tourists stepped in to prevent the woman from burning down a valuable landmark of the city.
Police say they were called to the scene for reports of vandalism in progress shortly after 5:45 pm on Thursday.
Initially, the two tourists from Utah said they witnessed the woman pour gasoline on the plants, porch, and front door of MLK’s birth home. And intervened the moment she pulled out her lighter.
In a video that surfaced online, the two NYPD officers were seen detaining the woman until APD arrived.
According to the Atlanta Fire Department’s Battalion Chief Jerry DeBerry, with the fuel present, the structure could have caught fire in seconds.
Late Thursday, a statement was shared on The King Center’s Instagram saying, “Fortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful thanks to the brave intervention of Good Samaritans and the quick response of law enforcement … Our prayers are with the individual who allegedly committed this criminal act.”
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