Nassau County Police on Long Island arrested Azam Khan, 29, on suspicion of attempting to set fire to the Young Israel synagogue in West Hempstead overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
The incident ended without injuries or damage to the building, and local security forces increased security around community institutions.
According to details of the incident, the suspect arrived at the premises at approximately 1:00 a.m. carrying a club and attempted to smash the glass doors at the building's entrance. When the glass doors withstood the blows and did not break, the suspect tore down a yard sign, set it on fire, and attempted to push the burning sign underneath the doors in an effort to start a fire inside the building.
When that attempt failed, Khan threw the sign toward nearby bushes. The flames that caught in the bushes extinguished themselves before spreading to the building.
Security footage provided to investigators shows Khan apparently speaking on his cellphone's speakerphone while carrying out the act and seemingly receiving instructions from another individual. At this stage, police have not officially confirmed whether a search is underway for another suspect who may have directed him remotely.
Khan's arrest was made possible by a chain of events that began at a nearby park, where a man was reported to have broken the mirror of a police patrol car. While officers were searching the area for the vandal, they received a report of a fire that had been started near the synagogue. Officers rushed to the scene, identified Khan, and arrested him without resistance.
Khan faces two counts of third-degree criminal mischief and two counts of arson. Law enforcement authorities noted that an official motive for the incident has not yet been established, and no decision has been made on whether to charge him with a hate crime.
The synagogue's security team provided the materials to investigators and circulated a warning to community members urging heightened vigilance.
Yisroel Szpigiel, vice president of the synagogue, commented on the incident, saying, "There is no place for hatred in our town, and no one should have to go through something like this. We will need to be here to protect one another."
Meanwhile, local legislator Olena Nicks said she had conducted a security assessment with the police commissioner and that security forces were increasing their presence around the community, although no additional active threat is currently known.