The 24-year-old trader who set a fire in 7 World Trade Center early yesterday morning apparently was trying to send a rescue signal. According to the NY Post, 24-year-old Ryan Brinkerhoff "got stuck in a freight elevator and then foolishly tried to get out by starting a signal fire."
Brinkerhoff, who works for DRW Trading on the 34th floor at 7WTC (and had recently transferred from the Chicago offices), "staggered into the 52-story building at about 3:10 a.m. Saturday," the Daily News reports—and a source says he was "horribly intoxicated." But not too intoxicated to use his company ID to get through the lobby turnstiles, just too intoxicated to select the 34 button.
From the 35th floor, Brinkerhoff went into a freight elevators and hit the 40 button, but wasn't allowed out on the 40th floor, because he needed a fingerprint ID. Noticing an aerosol can, Brinkerhoff decided to spray it and set it ablaze—and that managed to bring the elevator to ground level, where Port Authority police were waiting.
A police sourced told the Post, "He was intoxicated. It kinds of explains what happened." His mother was incredulous to the News, "Ryan is a wonderful young man. This is totally unlike him. He would never do anything like this." But this video on MySpace (thanks, just saying) suggests that Brinkerhoff is no stranger to playing with fire.
Brinkerhoff was charged with a number of counts including felony arson.
