Man allegedly threatened
to burn down Grace Cathedral

By Laura Dudnick

October 29, 2007

A man in his 30s who may have planning to burn down San Francisco's Grace Cathedral late Sunday night was arrested for attempted arson before the cathedral endured any damage, police said today.

Officers responded to the city's Nob Hill neighborhood Sunday evening after the man's neighbor reportedly heard him say "the cathedral wasn't going to be there anymore," said Officer Jim McGrath.

The man was allegedly planning to burn down the cathedral, according to Sgt. Neville Gittens.

Police patrolled the area near Grace Cathedral and located the man on the California Street side of the cathedral around 11:40 p.m. Officers stopped him "to see what he was up to," according to McGrath.

The man had a backpack with fireworks inside, McGrath said, and "other things led the officers to believe he might be up to something," McGrath added.

Upon finding the fireworks, bomb squad officials were called to the scene to remove the explosives and the arson task force responded to investigate, according to McGrath.

The suspect will be taken to the Hall of Justice and booked into county jail this morning, McGrath said.

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