You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
-Lurid Crime Tales-
Performance Artist tries to Burn Historic Cathedral
2007-10-30
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A man accused of prematurely torching the Burning Man festival's namesake effigy in August has been arrested on suspicion of trying to set fire to an historic cathedral, police said. San Francisco performance artist Paul Addis, out on bail in the Burning Man charges, was taken into custody on the top steps of the Grace Cathedral around 11:40 p.m. Sunday, police spokesman Sgt. Steve Mannina said Monday. Addis had an ammunition belt of small explosives strapped around his waist, he said.

Police were tipped by a caller who said they overheard Addis talking about a plan to set fire to the local landmark, Mannina said. No fire was set and there was no damage to the Episcopal church, a French Gothic structure that sits atop the city's Nob Hill.

Addis was booked on five felony charges - attempted arson, possession of arson materials, possession of a destructive device, arson of a church, violation of a court order - and a misdemeanor for altering a firearm, according to the sheriff's department. He remained in jail late Monday in lieu of $488,000 bail. A jail spokeswoman said she did not have any information on whether Addis had a lawyer.
Check out his mug-shot at link.
Posted by:DepotGuy

#7  What an assmonkey.
Posted by: Tibor   2007-10-30 19:59  

#6  "a misdemeanor for altering a firearm"

Sawed-off?
Posted by: mojo   2007-10-30 17:18  

#5  Prematurely torching the Burning Man effigy was funny. Lots of burners advocate it all of the time.

Trying to immolate on of San Francisco's most beautiful churches isn't funny. This man is obviously very evil. Lock him away for a long, long time. Arsonists have really crappy recividism rates.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-10-30 17:07  

#4  How come these "artists" never try to burn down their grant offices?
Posted by: ed   2007-10-30 14:18  

#3  "performance artist "
'nuff said.
Posted by: Spot   2007-10-30 14:08  

#2  This is the sort of asshole who qualifies as a genuine folk hero in san fran freakland...
Posted by: M. Murcek   2007-10-30 13:20  

#1  What the hell are "small explosives" supposed to be? Is that a technical term?

And all the ammo belts I ever owned had pouches that fit only 1 thing - ammo.
Posted by: gromky   2007-10-30 13:16  

00:00