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Lexington man allegedly attempted to burn down Mary Todd Lincoln House

LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — A man was arrested Thursday, accused of attempting to burn down the Mary Todd Lincoln House.

According to an arrest citation, 29-year-old Santosh Sharma was found by a Lexington police officer pouring gasoline on the rear of the Mary Todd Lincoln House with a lighter in his hand.

The citations said Sharma had more gasoline in a drawstring bag tied to his back. 

Sharma brandished a hammer when the officer approached him, but the officer did not make notes of any conflict between the two in the citation, only noting that the hammer placed the officer in a position of fear of serious physical harm.

The Mary Todd Lincoln House was the family home of the wife of President Abraham Lincoln and now serves as a museum of the former first lady Mary Todd Lincoln.

Sharma was lodged in the Fayette County Detention Center and charged with menacing, second-degree criminal trespassing, and second-degree attempted arson.

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