Bystanders stop arsonist from burning Martin Luther King Jr's birth home in Atlanta

Bystanders stopped a 26-year-old woman who poured gasoline onto the Atlanta birth home of Martin Luther King Jr from burning it, the authorities said.

The suspect had been "stopped by multiple citizens" when police officers arrived at the home on Thursday afternoon in response to a report of vandalism, the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement. The woman was charged with attempted arson and interference with government property.

"An individual attempted to set fire to this historic property," the King Center said in a statement. "Fortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful," it added.

The house, which the National Park Service acquired in 2018, has been closed to the public since November for repairs and renovations. Its collection will be stored elsewhere until it is expected to reopen in 2025, the National Park Service said.

The police, who did not name the suspect, said they were investigating.