ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A woman who allegedly tried to set Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home on fire Thursday afternoon is being held without bond, a judge ruled on Saturday.
Laneisha Henderson was arrested and charged with second-degree arson and interference with government property. Judge Holly Hughes said Henderson would stay in jail due to her unstable place of residence and the serious nature of her charge.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: VIDEO: Bystanders stop woman from reportedly trying to burn MLK’s birth home, police say
On Thursday, a tourist from Utah recorded a cell phone video of Henderson pouring liquid from a red gas can on the home’s front porch. He said he stopped her from walking up the stairs again with a lighter. Later, two off-duty NYPD officers held her down until Atlanta police could arrive.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the quick-thinking bystanders “saved the jewel of our city, something very important to Atlanta.”
The 128-year-old home, which was acquired by the National Park Service (NPS) in 2018, has been closed to the public since late November. The historic site is set to undergo major renovations and reopen in 2025.
Because the NPS owns the historic site, Henderson could face federal charges alongside her existing state charges.
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