NEED TO KNOW
- The man who allegedly vandalized the office of acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba has been arrested
- Habba, 41, was appointed to the role of acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey by President Donald Trump in March
- Her appointment is currently being challenged in federal court
The man who allegedly vandalized the office of acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba — who was appointed to the position by President Donald Trump in March — has been arrested.
Keith Michael Lisa, 51, was arrested in connection with the incident, according to a Nov. 15 statement from FBI spokesperson Emily Molinari, per the Associated Press.
Molinari did not share when or where the arrest took place, per the outlet. A motive for the alleged incident is also not clear at this time.
The FBI had previously stated that Lisa was wanted for allegedly entering the Peter W. Rodino Federal Building in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 12, while in possession of a bat, per a release shared on the FBI’s official website.
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“After being denied entry, he discarded the bat and returned. Once inside the building, he proceeded to [acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba’s office] where he damaged government property,” the FBI stated.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Lisa on Nov. 13 after he was charged with “possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility and depredation of federal property,” per the FBI release.
PEOPLE reached out to the FBI for comment on Sunday, Nov. 16, but did not receive an immediate response.
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U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi commented on the arrest in an X post shared on Nov. 15, in which she commended the FBI, U.S. Marshals and Department of Homeland Security for their efforts to locate the alleged suspect.
“No one will get away with threatening or intimidating our great US Attorneys or the destruction of their offices,” she added.
Habba, 41, reposted Bondi’s message on her own X feed and also expressed gratitude for the people and agencies who helped locate Lisa.
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“We got him,” Habba wrote in her response. “This @TheJusticeDept under @AGPamBondi and our federal partners will not tolerate any acts of intimidation or violence toward law enforcement. So grateful to @FBI, @HSI_HQ and @USMarshalsHQ for their tireless work to capture him.”
She added, “Now justice will handle him.”
Habba was a member of Trump’s legal team during his 2024 presidential campaign and has also served as his personal attorney. In March 2025, Trump, 79, appointed her as acting/interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. In August, a federal judge ruled that the appointment was unlawful, and Habba is currently disputing the ruling, per AP.
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