Austin Man Arrested, Charged With Arson For Allegedly Throwing Molotov Cocktail at Democratic Party HQ

Sarah RumpfOct 2nd, 2021, 7:13 pm
 
arson at travis county democratic party HQ in austin texas

Screenshot from Travis County Democratic Party video.

Ryan Faircloth, 30, was arrested for allegedly using a Molotov cocktail to ignite the office of the Travis County Democratic Party headquarters in Austin, Texas, according to a report by the local CBS affiliate.

The arson attempt was captured by the TCDP’s security cameras early Wednesday morning, showing a man wearing an American flag bandanna over his face throwing a rock through the glass on the office’s front door, and then returning “with what appears to be an incendiary device and plac[ing] it inside the building and then the fire starts to ignite,” said Austin arson investigator Captain Brandon Jennings. He also allegedly left a note at the scene.

No one was at the office at the time, so fortunately there were no injuries. Damage to the building was minimized because the arsonist placed the incendiary device inside the office, instead of throwing it as Molotov cocktails are usually deployed, and patrons of the bar across the street noticed the flames and put them out with a fire extinguisher.

The Austin Fire Department told reporters that the arrest was made by their arson investigators working with the FBI.

ryan faircloth, austin fire department arson booking photo

Booking photo for Ryan Faircloth. (Photo via Austin Fire Department)

Faircloth has been charged with second-degree felony arson and third-degree felony possession of a prohibited weapon. He is being held at the Travis County Jail under a $40,000 combined bond for the two charges.

TCDP Chair Katie Naranjo issued a statement thanking the Austin Fire Department, FBI, Austin Police Department, and Travis County Sheriff’s Office. “Today, our community and democracy are safer with the arrest of the far-right domestic terrorist who attacked @TCDP’s office,” she wrote.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law & Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Bluesky and Threads.