A suspect is currently in police custody and accused of arson, allegedly burning down the 50-foot tall “All-American Christmas Tree” outside Fox News headquarters in midtown Manhattan The New York City Police Department confirmed on Wednesday.
Craig Tamanaha, a 49-year-old man who was homeless was noticed by Fox security at around 12:00 a.m. early on Wednesday, climbing the tree in “Fox Square,” located on the Avenue of the Americas at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 48th Street According the NYPD spokesperson.
The office tower that is 44 stories high is home to the Rupert Murdoch-founded News Corp. and some of the company’s most prominent assets, such as those of the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal.
Fox security spotted Tamanaha running off the scene and snatched Tamanaha without incident, the spokesperson stated after which the fire was put out with the help of authorities from New York City Fire Department. The reason for the fire is to be identified through New York City fire marshals.
Tamanaha Tamanaha, who is currently in NYPD custody in the Midtown Precinct North, has been accused of arson, criminal mischief criminal criminal tampering and criminal trespassing as well as reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct the spokesperson said.
In an update about the incident that occurred on Wednesday morning “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade said the suspect “went into the tree” with what seemed to be “some paper” and “lit the whole thing on fire in a matter of seconds.”
A Fox security officer “tackled [the suspect] to the ground,” Kilmeade explained, before a wider law enforcement force consisting of firefighters, police and arson investigators arrived at the scene.
“The cops were everywhere. Our security personnel are amazing. They could jump right into the suspect. Many retired detectives were able to jump right on him,” Kilmeade told. This incident, Kilmeade said, “is beyond tragic and upsets everyone. The smoke, incidentally was everywhere in our lobby.”
Host Steve Doocy said that, according to eyewitness accounts the suspect went “about halfway up [the tree], because there is a metal superstructure underneath it,” carrying “a bunch of newspapers under his arm.” The suspect set the newspapers on fire before he “went down and watched it burn,” Doocy claimed.
Doocy mentioned that the co-hosts hadn’t yet read the police report of this incident. However, he remarked: “It’s beginning to look a lot like arson.”
The arrest was made following Fox News host Shannon Bream showed live footage on the midnight hours of police working to protect the area on the plaza with a haze. “Our thanks to the crews, who look like they’ve just about got that thing under control,” she declared just after 12:30 a.m.
Hosts of Fox News and Fox Nation Fox Nation, the network’s subscription-based online video service led the third lighting of the Christmas tree on Sunday in the course of a holiday show lasting an hour.
The “red, white and blue themed” tree is decorated “with 10,000 glass ornaments [and] 100,000 lights,” according to Fox News, and it took “over 21 hours to assemble.”
In an internal memo to the entire company that addressed the tree fire, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott referred to the incident as “a malicious arson attack” and added that “smoke permeated the building” because of.
“There were no injuries and thankfully all employees working inside the building remained safe throughout the duration of the fire,” Scott stated.
On Wednesday morning “Fox & Friends” co-hosts voiced their anger over the fire and pledged that an additional tree would be planted in the “Fox Square” plaza.
“This is vandalism,” said co-host Ainsley Earhardt. “You are aware that Fox was required to cover the cost of this Christmas tree. Fox had to purchase every ornament on the tree. Fox is a source of pleasure to you all whenever you are in New York and you see it, whether you catch it on television or when you enter an office, or are strolling around the building when you listen to the tune.”
“Someone did this to spoil our Christmas,” Earhardt stated. “But it’s not going occur. This scrooge will not be able to be able to escape the consequences.”
Kilmeade later sought to compare the NBC tree with the famous, 79-foot Christmas tree in nearby Rockefeller Center, where NBC is the headquarters of the network.
“I get it,” Kilmeade admitted. “NBC’s been around since forever. Every year the Christmas tree was in the air since TV was all black and white. I can understand that. However, in the past few years, the Fox Tree of News] grown into an enormous tourist attraction.”
In reference to the fire in “Fox Square,” Kilmeade stated: “This is part of the bigger issue. It’s the rise in crime in the country.”
Doocy For his part, said that the tree that is located outside Fox News headquarters “is a symbol to so many people in so many different ways.” So Doocy said “it is symbolic that we rebuild.”
“Look, that was a one-of-a-kind tree,” Doocy declared. “We aren’t sure the kind of tree that will be in the forest. However, there will be another tree fairly quickly. … We’ll put up a Christmas tree in the front of the building whenever we are able to.”
“Don’t worry. Don’t worry,” Earhardt added, reassuring viewers. “Do not be discouraged. We won’t be. We’re planning reconstruct it. We’ll rebuild it and then we’ll build it up again better.”
Scott confirmed that idea in an internal memo, which read: “We will not let this deliberate and unassuming act of cowardice discourage us. We are currently building and installing the new tree to convey the signal that there is joy, peace, and light even in the midst of a difficult time such as this.”
“We are currently planning on a lighting ceremony for the new tree and will send those details once we have them,” Scott said.
