ATLANTA • A piece of Atlanta history could have been permanently destroyed Thursday had it not been for a group of quick-thinking tourists who stepped in when a woman allegedly tried to burn down Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home.

Laneisha Shantrice Henderson, a U.S. Navy veteran who earned medals for good conduct among other accolades during her four years in the service, was detained by the bystanders at the historic homee and taken into custody Thursday night. The 26-yearold former Navy sailor has been charged with second-degree criminal attempt to commit arson and interference with government property.

“That action saved an important part of American history tonight,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters at the scene. —