A man accused of storming into an unauthorized area near NBC’s Today show set allegedly demanded to know where longtime weather anchor Al Roker was before hurling a racial slur at co-host Craig Melvin, prosecutors said in Manhattan court.
Andrew Truelove, 41, allegedly shouted, “Where is Roker?” before calling Melvin the N-word, according to prosecutors and law enforcement sources cited by the New York Post.
The frightening incident unfolded around 9 a.m. Thursday near Studio 1A at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where fans often gather outside the famous morning show.
Prosecutors said Truelove slipped past security by following a staffer who had used an ID badge to enter an employees-only area from the lobby.
Once inside, he allegedly made his way to the bottom of a stairwell in the restricted area. That is where he came face-to-face with Melvin, according to Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Millicent Kastenbaum.
Truelove allegedly called Melvin by name and demanded to know where Roker was. Prosecutors said he then took several steps toward Melvin before berating him with a racial slur.
According to the criminal complaint and law enforcement sources, Melvin confronted him and asked whether that was really what he wanted to get arrested for.
Truelove allegedly replied, “I always wanted to call a black famous person the N-word.”
The bizarre confrontation led to Truelove’s arrest and a court appearance later that day.
Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Jeffrey Gershuny ordered Truelove held on $10,000 bail. The judge also issued a protective order barring him from going anywhere near the Today hosts.
Truelove was arraigned late Thursday on charges of burglary in the third degree as a hate crime and menacing in the third degree as a hate crime.
If convicted on the top charge, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
Authorities said Truelove has a lengthy history of arrests in New York City. Police and law enforcement sources said he has at least eight prior arrests in the city, most of them for criminal mischief, dating back to July 2025.
He was most recently sentenced on June 18 to time served and probation after spending six months behind bars on a criminal mischief case. He had pleaded guilty in that matter.
Truelove’s criminal history reportedly stretches beyond New York.
Sources confirmed a 2012 arrest in Virginia, where he was accused of stealing signs from two playgrounds that honored victims of the Sandy Hook mass shooting. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison in that case, according to a local report.
At the time, Virginia police said they suspected Truelove was connected to a group of conspiracy theorists who falsely believed the 2012 massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, was staged. The shooting left 20 children and six adults dead.
He had also previously been sentenced to four years in prison for abduction after a disturbing 2007 incident at a Virginia high school, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
In that case, Truelove went to the school with a lug wrench and grabbed an 8-year-old girl by the straps of her backpack, the outlet reported.
A psychiatrist testified at the time that Truelove suffered from bipolar disorder and had experienced symptoms including depression and hallucinations, according to the report.
Roker was seen greeting fans in Rockefeller Plaza on Friday, one day after the alleged security breach.
By Friday, Truelove was being held at Rikers Island, according to court records.
His attorney, Lawrence Gerzog, did not return a request for comment.
Truelove is due back in court on July 22.
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