Woman tries to set fire to Martin Luther King Jr’s birth home – report
Screengrab from video footage of a woman allegedly attempting to set fire to the childhood home of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. (Photo via New York Post)—

ATLANTA, United States — A 26-year-old woman has been arrested on allegations she attempted to set fire to the Atlanta birth home of civil rights icon Dr Martin Luther King Jr on Thursday.

According to a story from CBS News, the suspect poured gasoline on the property but was stopped by multiple witnesses from proceeding any further.

Responding officers reportedly detained the woman at the scene. She is being held on suspicion of criminal attempted arson and second-degree interference with government property.

Martin Luther King

Her name was not released. No further details on the incident were immediately provided.

According to CBS News, Dr Luther King Jr’s childhood home was acquired for preservation by the National Park Service from the King family in 2018, and had been open for public tours through last month before it was closed for an “extensive renovation project.” It is not expected to be completed until November of 2025.

CBS news reports said the Atlanta Police Department is working with the District Attorney’s Office, the US Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI on investigating the attempted arson.

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