Woman arrested for trying to burn down MLK Jr.’s birth home: Police
- Police say a woman poured gasoline on MLK Jr.'s home
- She was charged with attempted arson, interference with gov't property
- Woman's father told news station she's going through mental health crisis
Atlanta, United States – May 22, 2017: The house where Martin Luther King Jr. was born is located in the Sweet Auburn neighbourhood of Atlanta, a few blocks away from the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. (Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — A woman was arrested Thursday afternoon after she tried to set fire to Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home in Atlanta, police said.
“Multiple citizens” tried to stop the 26-year-old woman before authorities arrived, the Atlanta Police Department said in a news release.
Laneisha Shantrice Henderson was charged with attempted arson in the second degree and interfering with government property. The APD said a preliminary investigation indicates Henderson poured gasoline onto the home.
Atlanta Fire Department Battalion Chief Jerry DeBerry said if it wasn’t for the bystanders intervening, the house might have been burned to the ground.
“It could have been a matter of seconds before the house was engulfed in flames,” DeBerry said, according to WSB-TV.
Zach Kempf, who was visiting the site from Utah, and two off-duty police officers from New York were the ones who stepped in, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“It was a little scary there for a minute because we didn’t know who she was,” Kempf said in an interview with WSB-TV.
WSB-TV says they spoke to Henderson’s father, who said she is a veteran going through a mental health episode. Henderson’s father told the station they had been trying to find her for two days.
A statement from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center called what happened an “unfortunate incident” and thanked the “good Samaritans and the quick response of law enforcement.”
“We thank the Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire Department, the National Parks Service and Mayor Andre Dickens for leading the efforts to ensure the safety of our cherished national landmark and its adjacent neighbors,” the statement said. “Our prayers are with the individual who allegedly committed this criminal act.”
NewsNation partner The Hill notes that because the home is federal property, and part of a national historic park, Henderson could face other charges.
