Andrew Truelove, 41, was held indefinitely at Rikers Island after a court hearing found he violated the terms of his probation stemming from a recent felony conviction.
On July 16, Truelove, a Virginia native, allegedly sneaked into a restricted area at NBC’s Rockefeller Center
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was allegedly hunting for Al Roker and found Melvin instead, screaming a racial slur at him just before 9 a.m.
The incident came just weeks after Truelove pleaded guilty in June 2026 to felony criminal mischief in connection with damage to multiple vehicles, for which he was sentenced to six months in jail, five years of probation and ordered to pay $375 in fees.
Prosecutors argued the July arrest violated his probation conditions.
His next court date was Wednesday, July 22, and he faced up to 15 years in prison.
Truelove was charged with burglary and menacing, both in the third degree as hate crimes.
Craig Melvin was unharmed during the encounter.
Craig then broke his on-air silence about the incident on July 17, telling viewers: “You may have heard that unfortunately an intruder made his way into an unauthorized area here at Studio 1A. Thankfully he was apprehended quickly, he was placed under arrest, we are cooperating fully with NYPD as they investigate the matter and we are just very happy that everyone is safe.”
In an Instagram post, shared in the early hours of Friday, July 17, Al also sent a “really heartfelt thank you to all who reached out over the last 24 hours to check in on my brother, @craigmelvinnbc”.
Craig later shared on social media, assuring followers that was “doing just fine”.
Both men obtained protective orders.
Truelove’s attorney, Lawrence Gerzog, told TMZ the judge issued a protective order requiring Truelove to stay away from Al and Craig.
Truelove couldn’t go near the two men at NBC or their homes, though for the moment it was moot because he was behind bars on $20,000 bail.
Security at the studio was significantly tightened.
The “Today” show issued new security guidelines for its on-air guests following the incident, when Hollywood publicity firms received an email on Wednesday outlining the new protocols, which read “We wanted to reach out with an important update regarding studio access for ‘Today’ interviews.”
No one was physically hurt, the show said in a statement, but the security lapse reportedly cost one guard his job.
Truelove’s criminal past spanned two decades.
In October 2007, Truelove was accused of trying to abduct an 8-year-old from a school in Norfolk, Virginia. He was convicted at trial and sentenced to 10 years in prison, of which six were suspended, followed by 10 years on probation.
Before his sentencing for the 2010 crime, a psychiatrist diagnosed Truelove with symptoms of bipolar disorder, noting that his mental health issues played a role in the Norfolk incident. He was given a four-year sentence and ordered to receive psychiatric treatment and comply with any prescribed medication regimen.
In 2014, he was arrested on charges of stealing signs from memorials dedicated to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.
Truelove was profiled by the Los Angeles Times in 2023, which detailed his move to California in hopes of launching a social media company, only to end up homeless on the streets.
Truelove struggles with PTSD and a related mood disorder and had a number of run-ins with law enforcement over the past several years.
New York had seen multiple arrests.
Truelove was arrested twice in May on charges including trespassing and reckless endangerment, following an earlier arrest for assault in January.
In the viral moment on Thursday, July 16,
Truelove allegedly sneaked into a restricted area at Rockefeller Center hunting for Al Roker before screaming a racial slur at Craig Melvin.
Truelove was at the bottom of a stairwell when he spotted Melvin and shouted out to him, asking for Al Roker.
The entire exchange lasted about 10 seconds before Melvin followed Truelove out of the stairwell near Studio 1A and alerted security, who detained him.
Melvin alerted security after the person approached him.
His next court date was Wednesday, July 22.