'Dangerous' man arrested for setting school bus on fire in Times Square during chaotic Knicks finals celebration

Published: 01:58, 21 July 2026 | Updated: 02:14, 21 July 2026 A New York City man has been arrested for allegedly setting a school bus on fire in the heart of Times Square as celebrations over the Knicks' NBA Championship descended into chaos. Jonathan Strahs, 30, of Brooklyn, was taken into custody on Monday morning and charged with one count of federal arson for allegedly setting the school bus meant to shuttle World Cup fans to New Jersey's MetLife Stadium ablaze in the early morning hours of June 14. Thousands of sports fans had descended on Times Square that night following the Knicks' victory over the San Antonio Spurs, while others gathered in the Big Apple for the World Cup. But when one of the school buses contracted to shuttle World Cup attendees between the Port Authority Bus Terminal and MetLife had to stop for pedestrian traffic on West 42nd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues, Strahs was caught on surveillance footage allegedly boarding the vehicle. He exited the bus a short time later, and a fire was discovered inside the vehicle. The blaze then spread throughout the interior and exterior of the school bus - and even jumped to another vehicle before firefighters were able to douse it.  FDNY Fire Marshals conducted an origin and cause examination in the aftermath, and determined the fire was set intentionally. At that point, fire marshals, police officers and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked together to review the surveillance footage and identify the suspect. Jonathan Strahs, 30, of Brooklyn, was taken into custody on Monday morning and charged with one count of federal arson He allegedly entered a school bus that was stopped due to the pedestrian traffic on June 14 and set the vehicle on fire The blaze spread throughout the interior and exterior of the school bus - and even jumped to another vehicle before fire fighters were able to douse it. 'This fire, set on a busy street during a night of celebrations, put the lives of bystanders and first responders at risk,' Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said in a statement. 'The work of our agencies has removed a dangerous individual from the streets of New York City, and the FDNY will continue to work closely with our public safety partners to keep New Yorkers safe.' She then went on to say that Strahs' arrest 'reflects the strength of our partnership with the ATF and NYPD and the diligence of our Fire Marshals in following the evidence through an extensive and complex investigation.' But the bus fire was not the only incident police had to respond to as raucous Knick fans took to the streets that night. Mayhem also broke out when officers frantically shoved the jubilant supporters back in desperate attempts to clear the area.  An officer was captured repeatedly ordering one man to stand back from the street, screaming, 'sidewalk,' in his face.  As the fan refused to back down, instead encroaching closer to the cop and confronting him, the NYPD officer shoved him back.  It sparked violent scenes as a trio officers pounced on the man, all three tackling him to the ground.  Three officers were captured tackling a man to the ground near Madison Square Garden following the Knicks' championship victory that night NYPD officers duck for cover as bottles are thrown at them during the Knicks' celebrations In photos captured by Daily Mail, fans in Brooklyn were seen climbing on top of the city's local buses as the celebrations ran riot throughout all five boroughs of the city  As he hit the tarmac, more cops piled on top of him as they swarmed around the struggle, fending off other furious supporters looking to join the fray. They could then be seen leading the fallen fan away in handcuffs. Meanwhile, a police vehicle was reportedly left heavily-damaged after crowds climbed on top of it near MSG, shattering its windshield. The ambitious in their midst were unable to stay grounded, clambering to the top of subway and train entrances at Penn Station. They inched perilously close to the edge as they jumped in raucous scenes. Others took to the tops of school buses or lampposts to obtain a better vantage point of the celebrations. The worst of the debris was left in Times Square, where burnt-out school buses were towed away in the middle of the night. In one clip, cops can be seen watching on as a tow truck drags away a bus from close to 42nd St, with parts of the vehicle falling off in the process. Just minutes earlier, a separate clip had shown the driver of a school bus desperately begging fans to stop ripping apart his livelihood. He can be heard shouting, 'this is coming out of my check', only to be ignored as they pulled the hood off.  Knicks fans are pictured wildly celebrating the victory at the Game 5 watch party  Fans pile onto the top of a school bus in their Knicks jerseys in Times Square The Knicks victory had been the first in more than 50 years. The team completed a fairytale playoffs with the ultimate prize as they produced another epic comeback on the road to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in a dramatic Game 5 in front of a star-studded crowd that included even Prince Harry.  The Knicks won the series 4-1, rallying from double-digit deficits in all four of those victories. The deficit was 16 on Saturday night but the Knicks remained unfazed as Jalen Brunson spearheaded a comeback - scoring 45 points, including 13 straight for New York in the fourth quarter. The captain could barely contain his tears as he choked up while emotionally declaring, 'I have no words,' during the postgame celebrations. Brunson, fittingly, closed with a flourish. He set a Knicks record for points in a finals game; it had been 38 by Willis Reed against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the 1970 series. It now belongs to the left-handed point guard who changed the franchise's fortunes when he arrived four years ago. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart - the other two parts of the 'Nova Knicks' trio that also includes Brunson, three players who were NCAA champions at Villanova and teamed up in New York to try to do the same - combined to score 27 points. Bridges had 14, Hart 13. 'I don't know what I'm feeling,' Brunson said. 'I'm in awe. Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it.' Dylan Harper scored 25 for the Spurs, who got 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots from Victor Wembanyama. The Knicks improved to 4-0 in closeout opportunities this season, winning them all on the road. It didn't feel like the road, though - not with thousands of New York faithful having made the trip to Texas to see a moment 53 years in the making.