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(NYT) Man Arrested With Gas Cans and Lighters at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Is a Philosophy Teacher

TheGhost

TheGhost

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
28,137
Long Island
Source

It was near 8 p.m. Wednesday when Mr. Lamparello, a 37-year-old adjunct philosophy lecturer, entered St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan toting two gallons of gasoline, lighter fluid and lighters, the police said.

Stopped by ushers, he explained he was trying to take a shortcut through the iconic sanctuary to reach his vehicle, which had run out of gas, the police said.
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Mr. Lamparello, who lives in New Jersey, was taken into custody Wednesday night for questioning, the police said, but has not been charged with any crime. He has had prior run-ins with law enforcement and had previously been arrested in New Jersey for trespassing, the Fire Department said.
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Someone explain to me how the law works.
In wake of the Notre Dame Cathedral tragedy, and this guy's story not adding up....how do you not charge with anything? Does he have to actually start the fire, pour the gas? Light or attempt to flick a lighter? Seems kind of fucked no?
 
Indy in the Fridge

Indy in the Fridge

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
15,278
TheGhost said:
Source





Someone explain to me how the law works.
In wake of the Notre Dame Cathedral tragedy, and this guy's story not adding up....how do you not charge with anything? Does he have to actually start the fire, pour the gas? Light or attempt to flick a lighter? Seems kind of fucked no?
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Police have to have probable cause. They can't just charge him with attempted arson if he actually didn't act on anything. But, you can take solace in the fact that the dude just made every possible watchlist in America.
 
spootime

spootime

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,429
Indy in the Fridge said:
Police have to have probable cause. They can't just charge him with attempted arson if he actually didn't act on anything. But, you can take solace in the fact that the dude just made every possible watchlist in America.
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He did act though. He went out and bought gasoline and lighter fluid and brought them into the church. As to whether they can prove intent is a different matter.

TheGhost said:
Someone explain to me how the law works.
In wake of the Notre Dame Cathedral tragedy, and this guy's story not adding up....how do you not charge with anything? Does he have to actually start the fire, pour the gas? Light or attempt to flick a lighter? Seems kind of fucked no?
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For attempt you need specific intent to commit the crime in question, a substantial step taken towards committing the crime, and a failure to actually do it. I think that bringing gasoline and lighter fluid somewhere might literally be the textbook example for a substantial step taken
 
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MonoStable

MonoStable

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,051
They can investigate him and see if he maybe made statements of intent via social media or text messages/email, but without intent he can just claim ignorance I imagine.
 
Indy in the Fridge

Indy in the Fridge

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
15,278
spootime said:
He did act though. He went out and bought gasoline and lighter fluid and brought them into the church. As to whether they can prove intent is a different matter.
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I'm not questioning if the dude was up to no good. He's suspicious as all hell. It's more like, will the local DA be able to prove he actually intended to set fire to the cathedral? Probably not.
 
Kill3r7

Kill3r7

Member
Oct 25, 2017
24,397
Just because he wasn't charged with a crime at the time the article was written doesn't mean that he won't be. He is still under arrest.
 
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