Man Set Fire, Vandalized 2 Embassies in NW DC

A man has been arrested after authorities said he set a fire at the Embassy of Malaysia and vandalized the Embassy of Austria.

Versie Segers is accused of throwing an incendiary device over the fence line at the Embassy of Malaysia in Northwest Washington Saturday. The incendiary device included a T-shirt soaked in alcohol to potentially fuel the fire. Secret Service agents helped extinguish the fire, according to the court filings.

A spokeswoman for the Embassy of Malaysia said damage is minimal. The embassy employs 60 people but is not a residence for the Malaysian ambassador, she said.

About 40 minutes later, a burglar alarm sounded at the Embassy of Austria. According to the affidavit, loud sounds were heard near the back of the embassy, where shattered glass and a large rock were found.

According to an affidavit, no injuries were reported.

Segers told investigators that he selected the embassies of Malaysia and Austria "because of what he perceived to be those countries with the development of Kim Jung Nam of North Korea," a court filing stated.

Kim Jung Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was assassinated earlier this year at a Malaysian airport.

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Segers is charged with two counts of violating the property of a foreign government. He was not reachable for comment. An attorney and court date for Segers are not yet listed by the clerk of courts.

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