Bias Attack Bottle Bomber Caught On Video; Additional Long Island Incidents Identified

In the span of a couple of hours, four Muslim and Asian businesses, mosques, or temples across Queens were firebombed by a man who used Starbucks drink bottles. A fifth location on Long Island may also have been attacked by the same individual:

A fifth building — a Long Island home — has been hit by a Molotov cocktail, and cops are investigating if the attack is linked to four similar incidents in Queens, authorities said Monday.

The harrowing Queens arsons, including one at a mosque, took place within a mile of each other in Jamaica between 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Sunday.

At 9:40 p.m. Sunday, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a Glafil St. home in Elmont. Nassau County police said there were no injuries or damage to the home.

Bejai Rai, 77, was having dinner with his wife and two sons when they heard glass smash and saw fire sparks.

“My son thought the chandelier had fallen,” Rai said. “We saw that a bottle, like a coffee glass bottle, hit our front window then landed in the concrete.” It was similar to the ones cops described as Starbucks bottles found at the mosque scene and at a bodega that was attacked.

“It sparked, but didn’t catch a fire,” he said. “We were lucky.”

They saw a two-door silver Honda Accord lingering.

Video at one of the locations caught the man throwing the bottle bomb at the location:


One of the locations was a convenience store, and a disgruntled customer may have decided to take revenge on that location and the others:

A worker at the deli said the man showed up at the store about three nights ago, tried to shoplift and threatened employees when they caught him in the act and ejected him. Police said the suspect had tried to steal milk and a Starbucks Frappuccino and appeared to be of Guyanese descent.