Homeless man charged with setting NYPD car on fire: police

Anthony Phillips was arrested and charged with arson for allegedly setting a NYPD automotive on fireplace within the Bronx.
NYPD

A homeless ex-con was busted for torching an NYPD patrol automotive after cops booted him from a subway station, police stated Monday. 

Anthony Phillips, 51, was taken into custody on arson fees Friday evening after cops noticed him panhandling in Midtown and acknowledged him from a needed flier, police and regulation enforcement sources stated. 

He’s accused of lighting a rag on fireplace and throwing it at a marked patrol automotive outdoors of the Pelham Bay Park 6 practice station on Jan. 6, regulation enforcement sources stated. 

Phillips allegedly set the automotive on fireplace after law enforcement officials requested him to go away a subway station.

Round 10 p.m. that evening, Phillips was performing erratically inside a subway automotive when two cops responded and instructed him to go away, regulation enforcement sources stated. 

About 10 minutes later, the cops left the station to ensure Phillips was not within the space — and located their patrol SUV engulfed in flames. 

Pictures of the automobile beforehand launched by the NYPD present its entrance hood fully charred and its engine blackened. 

Phillips, who was additionally charged with reckless endangerment in reference to the incident, has over a dozen earlier arrests within the 5 boroughs relationship again to at the least 1997, regulation enforcement sources stated.

Sources stated Phillips is homeless.

They added Phillips can be prosecuted in Manhattan federal courtroom for the incident however the feds didn’t instantly affirm in the event that they’d be dealing with the case. 

Extra reporting by Ben Feuerherd