Free Republic

A New Jersey college professor who was accused of planning to burn down St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City died by suicide April 17, NBC News reported Thursday. Marc Lamparello of Hasbrouck Heights was released from Rikers Island March 20 due to concerns about coronavirus and died April 17, according to his attorney, NBC News reported.

<p>NEW YORK - The college philosophy teacher accused of entering St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan with gasoline cans, lighter fluid and butane lighters had also booked a hotel just 20 minutes from the Vatican, a New York prosecutor said Wednesday.</p>

The man taken into custody Wednesday night after allegedly trying to walk into St. Patrick's Cathedral, in the heart of New York City, with two gasoline cans and lighter fluid had booked a one-way $2,800 flight to Italy for Thursday, police said. He was also arrested days earlier at a New Jersey church, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell News 4. Marc Lamparello, 37, would've been out of the country by Thursday night, NYPD officials said in announcing formal charges against him. Police said he had purchased the ticket to Rome Wednesday morning, hours before they say he...

A 37-year-old man from New Jersey was arrested after attempting to enter St Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan with two gasoline cans Wednesday night, police say. Church ushers stopped the man at about 8 p.m. and notified nearby officers with the NYPD Critical Response Command, who took him into custody. Authorities say he drove to St. Patrick's, parked in front of Saks and took two gas cans and lighter fluid from the car into the cathedral where he was stopped. The man's intentions were not immediately clear. The incident came two days after the fire at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.