Updated, May 17, 9:52 a.m.: A teen has been arrested in connection to a fire that destroyed a historic synagogue on New York’s Lower East Side Sunday night, police said.
“The 14-year-old male was charged with arson. The investigation is ongoing,” the NYPD told Metro.
According to PIX 11, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Tuesday that a surveillance video showing several teens fleeing the area around when the blaze began was under review, but police have not identified any other suspects at this time.
Original article: May 15, 12:41p.m.: The cause of a fire at a historic Jewish synagogue is under investigation by the New York City Fire Department.
Flames spread through Beth Hamedrash Hagodol, a synagogue on the Lower East Side at Norfolk and Broome streets, on Sunday just after 7 p.m.
No one was inside at the time of the 3-alarm fire, which reportedly destroyed the interior of the synagogue. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries while bringing the blaze under control.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
MANHATTAN: 3-ALARM FIRE, 60 NORFOLK ST, FIRE IN SYNAGOGUE, pic.twitter.com/0LpmzWzclX
— NYRRT (@NYRRT) May 14, 2017
The Synagogue in LES is on fire right now ? pic.twitter.com/lN5PMjvvf8
— the calms. (@kpierrephoto) May 14, 2017
.@gigi_nyc BREAKING VIDEO: FDNY battling a 3rd Alarm Fire in a synagogue at 60 Norfolk St in Lower East Side. Heavy fire throughout. pic.twitter.com/B8KmlkE3OW
— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) May 14, 2017
The synagogue is some 167-years-old, was built in 1850 as a Baptist church and converted to a synagogue in 1885, and is believed to be the nation’s oldest Russian Orthodox Jewish congregation, the Daily News reported.