Woman who allegedly set fire to gay pride flag found mentally unfit for trial

ByAaron Katersky ABCNews logo
Tuesday, May 2, 2023

The woman arrested for allegedly setting fire to a gay pride flag outside a Manhattan restaurant, an incident caught on camera, was found mentally unfit for trial.

Angelina Cando, who is charged with hate crimes, appeared briefly in court Tuesday.

Her case was adjourned to May 9 for the Manhattan district attorney's office to review the findings.

New York City police arrested Cando, who they say is the person seen on video setting fire to a gay pride flag in front of a restaurant, in February.

Cando, a 30-year-old New York City resident, was charged with arson as a hate crime, criminal mischief as a hate crime and reckless endangerment as a hate crime, according to police.

Just after 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 20, surveillance video showed a white SUV pull in front of Little Prince, a restaurant in SoHo, the NYPD said.

Someone exited the front passenger side and ignited the flag, which read "Make America Gay Again."

The fire spread to the building, causing exterior damage, police said.

Little Prince posted an image to Facebook in February with a one-word statement: "Defiant."

Cando is also accused of writing "Jesus is King" on two NYPD cruisers parked outside a Manhattan precinct in lower Manhattan, according to police. This incident was also caught on surveillance video, police said. She was charged with making graffiti, criminal mischief and criminal possession of graffiti instruments, police said.

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