Show Caption
Craig Melvin and Al Roker have been granted a restraining order from the intruder who broke into the "Today" show studio Thursday, July 16.Andrew Truelove, 41, was arraigned in a New York criminal court Friday, July 17, where he was officially charged with burglary in the third degree as a hate crime and menacing in the third degree as a hate crime, both felonies, according to records reviewed by USA TODAY. He remains in custody with a $10,000 bail.The Manhattan District Attorney's complaint, obtained by USA TODAY, said Truelove snuck into the building at 30 Rockefeller Center by following behind an employee who scanned into a restricted area with an identification badge. Truelove was allegedly looking for Roker, 71, when he encountered Melvin, 47, by a stairwell.Truelove then stepped toward Melvin and allegedly called him a racial slur, to which Melvin asked, “That’s what you wanted to get arrested for?” Truelove allegedly replied, "I always wanted to call a black famous person" that slur.At his July 17 arraignment, the judge issued a full temporary order of protection for Roker and Melvin.How has the 'Today' show addressed the incident?The New York Police Department were first alerted to a "disorderly person" inside the "Today" show building at around 9 a.m. local time July 16, USA TODAY previously reported. Truelove was arrested shortly after.Later that day, Melvin spoke out about the incident in an Instagram post assuring the public he was "doing just fine." He also shared a statement from a spokesperson for the NBC show, confirming a "security incident" where "an individual entered an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A" and confronted the co-anchor."The individual was detained and taken into custody by law enforcement without further incident. There was no altercation, and no one was injured," the statement read, noting that the show "is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate the matter.""NBC and 'TODAY' take the safety and security of our employees, talent, staff and guests extremely seriously. We are reviewing the incident and our security protocols and remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone who works at and visits our studios," it concluded.Roker took to his own Instagram July 17, posting a photo of him and Melvin with the caption, “A really heartfelt thank you to all who reached out over the last 24 hours to check in on my brother, @craigmelvinnbc. We are both okay. It’s moments like these that serve to pull us together."“Like Craig said, ‘You come after one of us, you come after all of us.’ We’ll talk about it this morning on @todayshow,” the weather anchor added.The situation was also addressed on-air for the July 17 broadcast of the NBC morning show, where Laura Jarrett, who is filling in for Savannah Guthrie, told Melvin, "We want to make sure that you're safe." He responded, "Safe and sound."Prior to this recent arrest, Truelove has had an extensive criminal history, including several ongoing cases in New York for criminal mischief, assault, criminal trespassing and reckless endangerment, according to records reviewed by USA TODAY.Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY
