An Atlanta woman was arrested on Thursday after dousing Martin Luther King Jr.‘s birth home in gasoline before attempting to set it on fire.
Laneisha Shantrice Henderson, 26, was charged with criminal attempt to commit arson and criminal attempt to damage government property. She could also reportedly face federal charges in connection with the incident.
Atlanta police officers responded to Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth home shortly after 5:45 p.m. on Thursday following reports of vandalism. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told Fox News that two tourists from Utah told officers they observed the woman dousing plants, the porch and the front door of the home with what smelled like gasoline before they intervened upon seeing her attempting to ignite a lighter.
Fox News has more:
Two off-duty New York City Police officers visiting the city then detained the woman until Atlanta Police officers arrived at the scene.
Atlanta Fire Department Battalion Chief Jerry DeBerry told reporters that, after the fuel was poured, the home could have caught fire in a matter of seconds. The fire department's HAZMAT team worked to clean up the gasoline on the property.
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