Man, 63, charged with arson after setting himself on fire in NYC building housing Google offices


John Butch, 63, of Brooklyn, set himself alight using a lighter and an accelerant in the lobby of 315 Hudson Street in Lower Manhattan on Friday afternoon, suffering burns over his body. Emergency services, responding to multiple 911 calls, took him to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition. He faces charges of arson, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. Investigators have yet to establish a motive or determine what, if any, link he had to the tenant he apparently sought out.
The building also houses the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau; Butch has been confirmed by police to have no connection to the force.
Google said the man appeared to be 'seeking access to another tenant's space' and that it is 'grateful to first responders'.
