Man charged with arson after attack on Democratic Party headquarters in Austin

Ryan Faircloth is facing two felonies after being accused for arson.
According to authorities, he admitted to the crime Friday.

The attack did not result in any injuries.

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Authorities say the man had political grievances about the country's direction and was trying to set fire to a Democratic Party office in Austin.

The Travis County Democratic Party claimed that its office was vandalized on Wednesday night and had been targeted with an "incendiary explosive." The fire was quickly extinguished.

Katie Naranjo was the chair of the local party at the time and described the incident as an act of terror. She claimed that the arsonist had left "to terrorize people" a note.

Local NBC affiliate KXAN reported that Ryan Faircloth, aged 30, was taken into custody two days later following a tip. Captain Jeffrey Deane, Austin Fire Arson Investigations, stated that Faircloth had confessed and that he was unhappy with the current political climate.

An arrest warrant states that the informant directed investigators towards Faircloth's Facebook Page. There, they found an incriminating post matching the note at the scene. KXAN reported.

Surveillance video shows the man with a bottle in hand walking past the party's office just after 2:00 AM on Wednesday. His face is covered by an American flag tied around his head. The object is thrown into the office and there's an explosion.

The explosion took place in the early morning hours on September 29, 2021. Travis County Democratic Party

CBS Austin reported that Faircloth was charged with second-degree felonious arson and third degree felony possession. He could be sentenced to between 4 and 30 year imprisonment and fines up to $20,000.

As of Friday evening, he was still behind bars. His bond has been set at $40,000.

Cynthia Van Maanen was the executive director of Travis County Democratic Party. She told Insider that she was grateful no one was hurt in this attack.

She said, "We are grateful to our neighbors who saw the flames quickly and acted quickly and for the investigators that acted fast in identifying and arresting the suspect."

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