The man accused of forcing his way into NBC’s “Today” show studios and directing a racist slur at co-anchor Craig Melvin on Thursday has a lengthy history in the criminal justice system, including prison time, homelessness in California and several recent arrests in New York, according to authorities and reports.
Andrew Truelove, 41, allegedly entered a restricted vestibule near Studio 1A at 30 Rockefeller Plaza at about 9 a.m., where he demanded to see veteran “Today” weatherman Al Roker, law enforcement sources said.
He instead came face to face with Melvin and allegedly used the N-word toward him, the sources said.
Melvin quickly notified security, and a New York Police Department officer assigned to a paid detail inside the Midtown Manhattan building detained Truelove, police said.
Truelove was brought to the Midtown North Precinct, where he was charged with burglary, menacing and criminal trespass as hate crimes, along with harassment, according to police.
Law enforcement sources said Truelove has been arrested multiple times in New York City over the past year.
His criminal record extends back several years.
In 2023, Truelove was homeless in California after traveling there from his native Virginia just two days after completing supervised probation, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Before that, he had served prison time following what was described as a string of felony offenses.
After landing at LAX, Truelove drifted across California before exhausting most of his money and winding up living on the streets of Southern California.
At the time, he said he suffered from PTSD and a related mood disorder and had no friends or family in the state.
He spent much of his time sleeping outdoors and lingering outside a 7-Eleven after his plans to launch a social media platform fell apart.
