Man caught with 2 gas cans entering St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC, police say - Fox News

The New York Police Department was investigating an "incident" at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue Wednesday night. (iStock)

A man was taken into custody in New York after entering St. Patrick’s Cathedral carrying two canisters of gasoline, two bottles of lighter fluid and two butane lighters, authorities said.

The man, whose identity has not been released, was stopped by a security officer as he entered the cathedral, New York police said at an evening press conference. The man was told he could not enter with the gasoline. As he turned around some gasoline spilled onto the floor of the cathedral.

Investigators said it was too early to call the incident terrorism, but have yet to determine a motive for the man's actions.

Investigators said a "heavy police presence" was in the area of the church, which is located on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.

On Monday, two days before the reported incident, the Notre Dame Cathedral was engulfed with flames for hours after a blaze broke out. The flames collapsed the cathedral's spire, which had been shrouded in scaffolding as part of a $6.8 million renovation project on the spire and its 250 tons of lead.

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Two-thirds of the cathedral burned before the fire was brought under control. The incident is being investigated as an accident.

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