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"Frappuccino Firebomber" Says He Targeted Islamic Center For Not Letting Him Use Bathroom
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 5, 2012
Modified Jan 5, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 5, 2012
Modified Jan 5, 2012
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The Queens man whom police say has "implicated himself" in a series of Molotov cocktail attacks at various locations wanted to take out “as many Muslims and Arabs as possible” at the Al-Khoei Foundation, an Islamic cultural center in Jamaica, Queens. Why did he choose the center as his target, out of all the other Islamic meeting places in town? He says because they refused to let him use the bathroom. The flaming Starbucks Frappuccino bottle which Ray Lengend allegedly threw at the center did minimal damage, but it could have been worse—sources tell the Daily News that Lengend's original plan was to toss all five of his firebombs from the balcony of the center onto the crowd below.
Lengend was reportedly dissuaded from that objective by a "police presence" at the center, and went on to allegedly settle grievances at a deli where he was caught shoplifting, and three other spots, including a house where he believed a "crack dealer" resided with whom he had a dispute. But it was the wrong address—inside were three children and at least two adults. The Washington Post reports that the Molotov cocktail crashed through the front window, setting the curtains on fire and doing extensive damage that took 60 firefighters to extinguish. Fortunately no one was injured.
Lengend’s brother-in-law, Bejai Rai, 73, said his Elmont, L.I., house was firebombed because he kicked Lengend out for not paying rent. "He had a vendetta against us," Rai told the News. "He tried to kill my wife, my two sons and my sister. I’m glad they got him otherwise he’d be back to firebomb us again."
Lengend, an unemployed truck driver, is currently at Bellevue undergoing psychiatric evaluation. He'll be arraigned by video today, and faces 18 charges including arson as a hate crime and weapon possession. And he could face more charges; investigators suspect he previously tried to carry out arson attacks at three other places, including a home that sustained fire damage. Another target, sources tell the News, was an SUV, but in that case Lengend could not get the projectile to ignite.
Investigators say the hate crime charges stem from the “broad anti-Muslim statements” Lengend made during interrogation. As for the bathroom refusal, many New Yorkers can probably relate to Lengend's urge to burn a place down for not letting him use the restroom. But the center's Imam isn't buying it. "He said he attacked us because we wouldn't let him use the bathroom," Imam Maan Al-Sahlani tells the News. "We don't believe it was because of this. Obviously there is something wrong with him.
Tagged
arson
frappuccino firebomber
hate crimes
molotov cocktail
queens
ray lengend
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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