(VINnews) — The FBI arrested an individual on Friday, after a propane tank and clothes that had been set on fire were found near a synagogue in the city.
According to Birmingham Police, officers responded to Temple Beth-El early Friday morning due to reports of a fire. According to the statement, first responders discovered “a propane tank and clothing which had been set on fire in the area.”
At approximately 12:15 p.m. on Friday, a person of interest was apprehended by the FBI. The man was interviewed by both the FBI and Birmingham police at the the agency’s Birmingham headquarters.
“At the conclusion of the interview, the person of interest was transported to the Birmingham City Jail where he was placed under a 48-Hour Felony Extension for the State of Alabama charge Arson 2nd degree,” a statement said.
Following the original response to the fire call, local police and the FBI received a report from the security for the Jewish federation regarding a suspicious package in the bushes just outside the synagogue.
Law enforcement found that package suspicious as well once they arrived, but later determined that it did not contain any explosives.
According to Birmingham Officer Truman Fitzgerald, police were able to use robotic technology to transport the backpack to a secure location where it was safely inspected.
“We are working hand in hand with the FBI to determine if there are any criminal charges that will be filed in this incident,” Fitzgerald said in a statement posted on social media Friday afternoon.
This all comes just one day after federal law enforcement in New Jersey warned local synagogues about a generalized threat. Federal officials identified the individual responsible for those threats. According to a Friday report, officials do not believe that that individual was planning a specific plot.
