MANHATTAN – Sam Resto, 29, of Queens, is facing federal charges after allegedly setting fire to a marked NYPD van in Manhattan last month. The brazen act, caught on video, endangered residents and first responders, authorities say.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed today in Brooklyn federal court, Resto was arrested yesterday and is scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo this afternoon. The charges were announced jointly by Acting United States Attorney Seth D. DuCharme, FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr., and NYPD Commissioner Dermot F. Shea.
“As alleged, Resto, wearing a mask and gloves and carrying a backpack containing the tools of his destructive trade, intentionally set fire to an NYPD van parked on a city street lined with residential buildings and vehicles,” stated DuCharme. “This Office will vigorously prosecute criminals whose actions endanger the community, police officers and first responders.”
The incident occurred in the early morning hours of July 29, 2020, on West 83rd Street near Columbus Avenue. Video footage shows Resto smashing a van window with a blunt object, dousing the interior with gasoline, and igniting it before fleeing towards Central Park. Sweeney emphasized the gravity of the crime: “When Resto set an NYPD van ablaze last month, as we allege today, his actions not only destroyed essential public safety equipment paid for by the people of New York City, he placed the personal safety of those living in the neighborhood and their private property into harm’s way.”
A subsequent search of Central Park yielded a backpack belonging to Resto, containing clothing matching what he wore in the video, a Guy Fawkes mask, a red jerry can smelling of gasoline, a hammer, and lighters. Commissioner Shea stated, “Today’s criminal complaint not only seeks justice for the alleged torching of an NYPD van parked in a busy Manhattan neighborhood but answers for a crime that put innocent New Yorkers in considerable danger.”
Resto faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Michael T. Keilty, and Sara K. Winik of the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. The charges are allegations, and Resto is presumed innocent until proven guilty. E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-MJ-665.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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