A career criminal with a penchant for trying to light NYPD cars on fire in Manhattan was arrested Thursday after striking once again this month.
Allen Watkins, 49, allegedly tried to light a cop car ablaze twice in eight hours near the NYPD Citywide Traffic Task Force offices on West 30th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues on Dec. 2, according to police.
He placed a lit rag inside the vehicle’s gas caps, but the accelerant failed to ignite both times.
Watkins was arrested and charged with arson after being identified on security footage, investigators said.
It’s not the first time the firebug attempted to blow up a police car in the middle of Manhattan. In August he was caught attempting the same stunt on an NYPD vehicle on 42nd Street.
Allen Watkins, 49, allegedly tried to light a cop car ablaze twice in eight hours in Manhattan. Steven Hirsch for NY Post
Watkins had more than 60 prior arrests outside of the boroughs. Steven Hirsch for NY Post
Watkins placed a lit rag inside the vehicle’s gas caps, but the accelerant failed to ignite both times. Peter Gerber 
Watkins was arrested and charged with arson after being identified on security footage. Steven HirschWatkins had more than 60 prior arrests outside of the boroughs, cops said at the time.
Watkins told police he targeted the cop cars because he was upset that the police were not addressing crimes in the area that he reported, and he wanted to get their attention, sources said.
