A New Jersey man arrested after entering St. Patrick’s Cathedral carrying cans of gasoline and lighter fluid has been identified as philosophy professor Marc Lamparello, according to a report. The suspect arrived Wednesday night in a minivan outside the landmark cathedral on Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan, walked around the area, then returned to his vehicle at 7:55 p.m. EST and retrieved the gasoline, lighter fluid, and butane lighters, said NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller. Around 7:55pm, a man walked into St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan with gas cans and lighter fluid, and was subsequently apprehended by @NYPDCT without incident. We thank our partners for their help, and remember – if you see something, say something. pic.twitter.com/qEbmklnqzQ — NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 18, 2019 “As he enters the cathedral he’s confronted by a cathedral security officer who asks him where he’s going and informs him he can’t proceed into the cathedral carrying these things,” said Miller. “At that point, some gasoline apparently spills out onto the floor as he’s turned around.” Security then notified officers from the counter-terrorism bureau who were standing outside, Miller said. The officers caught up to the man and arrested him after he was questioned. “His basic story was he was cutting through the cathedral to get to Madison Avenue. That his car had run out of gas,” said the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism. “We took a look at the vehicle. It was not out of gas and at that point he was taken into custody.” He continued: “It’s hard to say exactly what his intentions were, but I think the totality of circumstances of an individual walking into an iconic location like St. Patrick’s Cathedral carrying over four gallons of gasoline, two bottles of lighter fluid, and lighters is something that we would have great concern over. His story is not consistent.” Miller said the suspect is known to police, who are currently looking further into his background. NBC New York has identified Lamparello as the suspect before police have officially revealed a name. Lamparello’s biography for his book Reason and Counterpoint says he “studied philosophy at Boston College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 2004. Marc has been heavily engaged in the study of philosophy from an early age, and is currently working on two other book-length projects, including a witty dialogue on arguments for and against the existence of God, and a series of essays on the epistemology of practical motivation.” He has reportedly taught for Lehman College, Brooklyn College, and Seton Hall University. An Archdiocese of New York spokesperson confirmed the suspect was stopped as he attempted to enter the church. “Nothing happened inside the cathedral,” said the spokesman. St. Patrick’s Cathedral was built in 1878 and has installed a sprinkler-like system during recent renovations. Its wooden roof is also coated with fire retardant. The AP contributed to this report.<doc-sep>The man who allegedly brought gas cans and lighter fluid into St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City has taught philosophy at different colleges in New York and New Jersey, school officials said. Marc Lamparello, 37, was arrested on Wednesday night and was charged with attempted arson and reckless endangerment. He was taken into custody after a security guard at the cathedral on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan spotted him. RELATED: MAN CAUGHT WITH 2 GAS CANS ENTERING ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL IN NYC, POLICE SAY He was cooperative but acted evasively, the New York Police Department said. Lamparello allegedly told officers that he was “cutting through the cathedral to get to Madison Avenue” and that "his car ran out of gas," police said. But when police reportedly checked the man's minivan, its gas tank wasn't empty. John Miller, the NYPD's deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, said surveillance camera footage showed Lamparello circling St. Patrick's several times in a minivan well over an hour before he parked outside the cathedral on Fifth Avenue, walked around the area, returned to his vehicle, and retrieved the gasoline and lighter fluid. The incident at the cathedral came two days after Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was ravaged by a fire that investigators said Thursday was most likely electrical. After Lamparello's arrest, police said there "doesn't appear to be any connection to any terrorist group or any terrorist-related intent here." Lamparello was also arrested on Monday in Newark, New Jersey after he allegedly wouldn't leave the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart at closing time after a late Mass. NOTRE DAME FIRE LIKELY CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL SHORT-CIRCUIT, INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE The man was calm and respectful to officers but was adamant about not leaving the cathedral, according to the Essex County Sheriff's Office. "He said, 'This is a house of God, it should be open, I'm not leaving. You'll have to lock me up,'" Sheriff Armando Fontoura said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Lamparello has worked as a part-time online instructor at Lehman College in New York, and taught philosophy as a part-time adjunct instructor at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, both schools confirmed to Fox News on Thursday. Brooklyn College said in a statement that because Lamparello is a PhD student at the College of New York's Graduate Center, he is required to teach a course on campus, and was assigned to the school. Sarah Ramsey, a spokesperson for Lehman, said the school is aware of what happened at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and is "taking appropriate steps to terminate the individual's employment with the college," while Seton Hall said Lamparella is no longer working with the university, as their "top priority is the education and welfare of our students and the entire campus community." The Associated Press contributed to this report.<doc-sep>When confronted outside the cathedral, the man told officers his vehicle had run out of fuel and he was cutting through the cathedral to get to it. He was arrested when police checked the van and saw it was not out of petrol.<doc-sep>[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] Marc Lamparello’s story seemed off from the start. It was nearly 8 p.m. on Wednesday when Mr. Lamparello, a 37-year-old graduate student and lecturer on philosophy, entered St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan toting two gasoline cans, lighter fluid and lighters, the police said. Hours before, he had purchased a $2,800, one-way plane ticket to Rome, which was set to depart the next day. Mr. Lamparello was about 20 feet into the church when ushers approached him and said he could not be inside the building with the cans of gasoline, the police said. He explained that he was trying to take a shortcut through the iconic sanctuary to reach his van, which he claimed had run out of gas.<doc-sep>
Just days after the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris nearly burnt down due to what authorities believe was a workplace accident, an American professor was arrested for plotting to burn down the historic St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City earlier this week. The Setonian reports that "Seton Hall adjunct philosophy professor Marc Lamparello was taken into custody by NYPD counterterrorism officers yesterday evening after walking into St. Patrick’s Cathedral with gasoline cans." In a press conference on Thursday, "NYPD Deputy Commissioner John Miller told reporters that Lamparello pulled up in a minivan near the cathedral around 8:00 p.m. He then proceeded to remove two 2-gallon gasoline cans, two butane lighters and two bottles of lighter fluid from the vehicle and proceeded to make his way up the church steps. " When stopped by police, Lamparello apparently said that his car had ran out of gasoline and that he was moving through the crowd to go fill up his tank with fuel. Miller told media that "the totality of circumstances—of an individual walking into an iconic location like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, carrying over two gallons of gasoline, two bottles of lighter fluid and lighters—is something that we would have great concern over." He "added that Lamparello had also booked a $2,800 ticket to Rome set to depart on Thursday evening before arriving at St. Patrick’s." Lamparello was officially " charged with Attempted Arson, Reckless Endangerment and Trespassing." The professor, for his part, told his students that classes would be canceled the rest of the week due to an "unforeseen illness."