Man breaches Today show studio in New York, arrested on hate-crime charges
A 41-year-old man entered the NBC Today studio at Rockefeller Center after being seen outside, confronting host Craig Melvin and using a racial slur, leading to his arrest and arraignment on burglary and menacing hate-crime counts.
A man identified as 41-year-old Andrew Truelove was captured on video pacing and smoking outside the Today show studio at Rockefeller Center shortly before he entered the employee-only area and confronted co-host Craig Melvin. The incident occurred during a segment about a potential great-white shark off Cape Cod, with the footage airing at 8:45 a.m., about fifteen minutes before Truelove slipped into the studio.
According to Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Millicent Kastenbaum, Truelove followed a staff member who used an ID badge to access the restricted area, then met Melvin in a stairwell and demanded to know Al Roker’s whereabouts. During the exchange, he allegedly used a racial slur toward Melvin, who called security, resulting in Truelove’s detention and arrest alongside another individual.
Truelove was arraigned on Friday on charges of third-degree burglary and third-degree menacing, each classified as hate crimes. A judge set bail at $10,000, and he remains in custody at Rikers Island pending a July 22 court date. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
NBC issued a statement saying the Today show is cooperating fully with law-enforcement investigations. The security guard who failed to stop Truelove has been terminated, and both Melvin and Roker obtained protective orders against the intruder.