A firebug was arrested for allegedly setting a school bus ablaze while Knicks fans flooded Times Square to celebrate the hometown team’s NBA championship victory last month, according to authorities.
Jonathan Strahs, 30, was cuffed at his Bushwick, Brooklyn, residence on Monday morning for allegedly torching the charter bus on West 42nd Street on June 14 after the Knicks clinched their first title in 53 years, according to the FDNY.
Strahs allegedly entered the charter bus — which was contracted to shuttle World Cup attendees between the Port Authority Bus Terminal and MetLife Stadium — around 2:47 a.m., fire officials said.
Surveillance footage then captured an inferno engulfing the vehicle shortly after Strahs exited, authorities alleged.
The blaze spread throughout the interior and into a nearby vehicle before fire companies responded and quickly extinguished the flames.
The FDNY Fire Marshals conducted an investigation that revealed the fire was intentionally set, and coordinated with the NYPD’s Arson and Explosion Detectives and ATF Special Agents to identify Strahs as a suspect.
Strahs has been charged with one count of federal arson for setting the fire, cops said.
The alleged aronsist appeared disheveled with long dark hair and a beard and pouted in a mugshot released by authorities.
“This fire, set on a busy street during a night of celebration, put the lives of bystanders and first responders at risk,” Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said in a statement.
The work of our agencies has removed a dangerous individual from the streets of New York City, and the FDNY will continue to work closely with our public safety partners to keep New Yorkers safe,” Bonsignore added.
“This arrest reflects the strength of our partnership with ATF and NYPD, and the diligence of our Fire Marshals in following the evidence through an extensive and complex investigation.”
Strahs is one of dozens of fans arrested in connection with the spate of violence as rowdy mobs celebrated the Knicks’ NBA title.
At least 63 people landed in handcuffs — while a 17-year-old boy also was shot in the foot and four people were stabbed — during the chaotic festivities.
