The man who allegedly torched some 11 NYPD vehicles in a Brooklyn lot last month is facing federal arson charges Monday, authorities say.
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, 21-year-old Jakhi Lodgson-McCray turned himself into police custody alongside his mother and lawyer after the “Regional Fugitive Task Force was hot on his trail.”
Court documents allege that on June 12, McCray scaled the fence surrounding the lot on DeKalb Avenue between Wilson and Central Avenues used by the NYPD to store police vehicles. Prosecutors say he spent over half an hour in the lot where he allegedly used fire starters to set the vehicles ablaze.
It wasn’t until 1:24 a.m. that morning that a cop arriving to inspect the lot noticed the spreading flames and said he spotted McCray allegedly attempting to make his way over the fence. Instead, he squeezed through a hole and made his getaway.
“The arson attack against New York City Police Department vehicles in Bushwick, Brooklyn was as cowardly as it was criminal,” Tisch said. “The defendant in this case may have wanted to send a message – but all he did was mobilize the full force of the NYPD, the ATF, and the FDNY to identify, locate, and arrest him.”
Court documents show that McCray allegedly started the blaze to cripple the NYPD’s response to a weekend protest. Police report that McCray is known to the department from his role in the 2024 Palestine protests at Columbia University, during which he posed as a student and allegedly caused damage at the school.
“He’s also wanted for a criminal mischief incident in Columbia University back in September, where he disguised himself as a student and caused over $1,000 of damage to a statue on the campus,” Chief Kenny said.
After the arson, Police say they captured video of McCray that depicted him changing his clothing several times while making his way to Manhattan. Cops believe he acted alone.
Investigators say they discovered a cigar lighter and sunglasses near where the firebug was caught entering the lot. Fingerprints recovered from the sunglasses matched those on McCray, court documents noted.
“This destructive act of arson was deliberate, dangerous, and deeply disruptive,” United States Attorney Joseph Nocella said. “Setting police vehicles ablaze is not a form of protest—it is a federal crime. Our office will not tolerate violence or destruction that undermines law enforcement efforts to ensure public safety and will prosecute this individual to the fullest extent of the law.”
The NYPD has estimated that the total replacement cost of for the damaged vehicles is over $800,000. If convicted, McCray faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 20 years in prison.
