Today show intruder hit with multiple hate crime charges
The Today show intruder hit with hate crime charges has been identified as Andrew Truelove, who allegedly slipped past security at the show's New York headquarters early Thursday, lunged at Craig Melvin while shouting racial slurs, and had been trying to locate Al Roker, police confirmed.
Key Takeaways
- Andrew Truelove was booked on hate crime menacing, hate crime burglary, hate crime criminal trespass, and harassment charges.
- He allegedly eluded security at 30 Rockefeller Center while searching for Al Roker before confronting Craig Melvin.
- The Today show said Melvin alerted security after the man entered an unauthorized vestibule near Studio 1A.
- NYPD reported no injuries, and the show said it is cooperating fully with the investigation.
The arrest quickly became a major item in celebrity breaking news, raising fresh questions about studio security at one of America's most watched morning programs.
What charges does the Today show intruder face?
According to the New York Police Department, Truelove was booked on hate crime menacing, hate crime burglary, hate crime criminal trespass, and harassment after the Thursday incident at Rockefeller Center.
Page Six reported the NYPD confirmed those charges Thursday evening following his earlier arrest in Midtown Manhattan.
The hate crime designations reflect police allegations that the confrontation with Melvin included racial slurs, alongside the trespass and burglary-related counts tied to the unauthorized entry.
How did the security breach unfold?
Page Six reported the man allegedly slipped past security at the show's headquarters early Thursday while attempting to locate Al Roker, 71.
Unable to find Roker, he then encountered co-anchor Craig Melvin. Reporting cited by Page Six said the intruder lunged at Melvin and shouted racial slurs during the confrontation.
In a statement, the Today show said an individual entered an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A and approached Melvin, who alerted security. The person was later taken into custody by law enforcement without further incident.
What did police and the Today show say?
An NYPD statement said that on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at approximately 8:57 a.m., a uniformed officer assigned to 30 Rockefeller Center was alerted to a disorderly individual inside the building.
The officer placed the individual in custody without incident, and there were no injuries reported, police said. CNN separately reported Truelove, 41, of Manhattan, faces the hate-crime-related counts stemming from the encounter.
The Today show added that it is cooperating fully with law enforcement as investigators continue to examine the matter. Officials have not reported additional details beyond the charging package and the timeline of the custody.