Federal authorities were able to identify the woman based on her accounts on online clothing sites, a massage video, and a tattoo.
Officials say 33-year-old Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal from Germantown is the woman captured on camera setting fire to two Philadelphia police cars near City Hall on May 30.
According to the criminal complaint, a federal investigator was watching an aerial video feed and saw a woman in a light-blue shirt and goggles throw a flame into one of the cars — which was already vandalized.
Authorities tracked her specific T-shirt — which read, “KEEP THE IMMIGRANTS, DEPORT THE RACISTS” — to one sold on Etsy, an e-commerce site for selling crafty or handmade items.
A Philly buyer commented on the T-shirt seller’s page. An agent then tracked the buyer’s username — “alleycatlore” — to one on the used clothing marketplace Poshmark.
The account was further traced it to a LinkedIn page, then a video advertisement for a massage therapy business — eventually, authorities identified Blumenthal by matching her peace sign tattoo among the various images.
Blumenthal remains in prison and faces up to a decade behind bars and $250,000 in fines.
Her attorney, Paul Hetznecker, questioned why federal authorities are bringing charges, when traditionally the defendant would be charged by local authorities.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said arson is a federal charge.