The New Jersey man was grabbed by security after trying to stride into the New York cathedral with two cans, which are believed to have been filled with gasoline
A 37-YEAR-old man has been arrested after trying to walk into St Patrick's Cathedral in New York with two full gas cans and a lighter.
The arrest at around 8pm (local time) on Wednesday comes just days after an inferno ravaged Paris’ iconic Notre Dame Cathedral.
The New Jersey man was grabbed by security last night after trying to stride into the New York cathedral with two red cans, which are believed to have been filled with gasoline.
Cops say the man may have been emotionally disturbed.
No one was injured and the cathedral was not damaged, police said.
The Midtown North Precinct tweeted that there was a "heavy police presence" around the cathedral as police investigated the incident.
A spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York confirmed that the man was stopped as he tried to enter the cathedral.
St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is located on 5th Avenue, is a neo-Gothic style cathedral designed by the architect, James Renwick Junior.
As Notre Dame is the pinnacle example of French Gothic architecture, Renwick Junior may have taken inspiration from the Paris landmark.
Police and firefighters say there is no suggestion that arson or terrorism played a part in the Notre Dame blaze.
The cause of the inferno may be linked to the recent construction work being carried out on the monument.
