A man accused of entering NBC's "Today" show studios and directing a racist slur at co-anchor Craig Melvin has been charged with hate crimes. Andrew Truelove, 41, faces charges including burglary, menacing, and criminal trespass as hate crimes, along with harassment.
Law enforcement officials stated that Truelove allegedly entered a restricted vestibule near Studio 1A at 30 Rockefeller Plaza around 9 a.m. and demanded to see weatherman Al Roker. He encountered Melvin instead and allegedly used a racial slur against him. Melvin alerted security, and an NYPD officer working a paid detail within the building detained Truelove.
Truelove was taken to the Midtown North Precinct, where the charges were filed. Law enforcement sources described Truelove as a career offender with an extensive criminal history. He has reportedly been arrested multiple times in New York City within the past year.
According to reports, Truelove had a history of homelessness in California. He arrived in the state from his native Virginia in 2023, shortly after completing supervised probation. Prior to that, he had served prison time following a series of felony offenses. While in California, Truelove reportedly lived on the streets and mentioned suffering from PTSD and a mood disorder, stating he had no family or friends in the state.