The man who allegedly trashed the New Jersey federal prosecutor’s office after being denied a meeting with Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba is now in custody, the FBI said Saturday.
Keith Michael Lisa was arrested following a brief manhunt, sparked by his manic appearance Wednesday night at the Peter Rodino Federal Building in Newark.
Lisa was initially denied entry by security officers because he was carrying a baseball bat, but he was allowed to enter when he returned a short time later without it. From there, he traveled up to the floor where Habba’s office is located, but was told he would not be allowed to see her.
Lisa then allegedly started yelling incoherently and destroying property before he ultimately fled the scene, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on X.
“Any violence or threats of violence against any federal officer will not be tolerated. Period,” she added. “This is unfortunately becoming a trend as radicals continue to attack law enforcement agents around the country.”
Lisa, a 51-year-old with ties to Mahwah, N.J. and New York City, was identified as a suspect late Friday night, with the FBI offering up to $25,000 for information in the case. Few other details have been provided about his arrest.
“We got him,” Habba wrote on social media Saturday morning.
“This @TheJusticeDept under @AGPamBondi and our federal partners will not tolerate any acts of intimidation or violence toward law enforcement,” she continued. “So grateful to @FBI @HSI_HQ and @USMarshalsHQ or their tireless work to capture him. Now justice will handle him.”
It’s unclear whether Lisa was specifically targeting Habba, who has served as the Justice Department’s interim top prosecutor in New Jersey since March. The president also nominated her to be the Garden State’s Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney, but later withdrew her nomination and has kept her on in an “acting” capacity.
Habba was not injured in the incident.
