A “disgruntled” man ripped photos off a wall at the New Jersey federal prosecutor’s office after he was turned away from speaking with acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, a senior official familiar with the matter said.
On Wednesday night, an unidentified man went to the Rodino Federal Building in Newark while carrying a baseball bat, an official said. He was not allowed entry, but later returned without the bat and went through security screening.
He then went to the seventh floor, where the offices for the state’s U.S. Attorney are located. The man went through unlocked glass doors to the office foyer, where he spoke with a receptionist and asked to speak with Habba, the senior official said.
The receptionist, who was behind secured glass, told him he did not have an appointment, so the man continued to wait in the foyer for a short time. While he waited, he never gained access to the U.S. Attorney’s offices, which are behind a locked buzzer door, the senior official told NBC New York a preliminary review of the incident showed.
After some time, the man left the foyer and went back into the hallway outside the office. That is where he allegedly ripped down at least two photos hanging on the wall of the common area before leaving the building.
No injuries were reported, and the extent of any damage was not clear. Law enforcement was reviewing security camera footage to try and identify the man.
Investigators were looking into the incident. Why the man appeared to be acting in an angry or disgruntled manner, and his motive for trying to get into the U.S. Attorney’s office, were not immediately clear.
A spokesperson for the FBI in Newark said, “we are aware of the alleged attack at the US Attorney’s office and are working on getting more information.”
Multiple members of the Trump administration, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, posted on social media earlier in the day in response to the incident, which they said was an apparent threat to Habba.
“Last night, an individual attempted to confront one of our U.S. Attorneys — my dear friend @USAttyHabba — destroyed property in her office, and then fled the scene. Thankfully, Alina is ok. Any violence or threats of violence against any federal officer will not be tolerated. Period. This is unfortunately becoming a trend as radicals continue to attack law enforcement agents around the country,” Bondi wrote on X.
Habba later replied to Bondi’s post, saying “I will not be intimidated by radical lunatics for doing my job.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also added that the bureau “will lead the hunt against all who threaten our brave public servants,” saying there is “zero tolerance for these acts of violence.”
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