The man who allegedly trashed the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in March, has been detained.
Keith Michael Lisa, 51, was detained in connection with the incident, according to an FBI spokesperson’s statement on November 15, as reported by the Associated Press.
Molinari did not specify when or where the arrest occurred, according to the publication. The motive for the alleged incident is likewise unknown at this time.
According to a notice posted on the FBI’s official website, Lisa was wanted for allegedly entering the Peter W. Rodino Federal Building in Newark, New Jersey, on November 12 while armed with a bat.
“After being denied admittance, he dropped the bat and returned. “Once inside the building, he went to [acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba’s office] and damaged government property,” the FBI said.
Lisa was given a federal arrest warrant on November 13 after being accused with “possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility and depredation of federal property,” according to an FBI release.
PEOPLE contacted the FBI for comment on Sunday, November 16, but did not receive an immediate response.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi reacted on the arrest in an X post on Nov. 15, praising the FBI, US Marshals, and Department of Homeland Security for their efforts to locate the suspected perpetrator.
“No one will get away with threatening or intimidating our great US Attorneys or the destruction of their offices,” she made clear.
Habba, 41, published Bondi’s statement on her own X account and thanked the people and agencies who assisted in locating Lisa.
Habba was a part of Trump’s legal team throughout his 2024 presidential campaign and has also been his personal attorney. In March 2025, Trump, 79, named her as acting/interim United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. A federal judge determined in August that the appointment was illegal, and Habba is currently appealing the decision, according to the Associated Press.
