Quantcast

"Frappuccino Firebomber" Caught, Cops Say He Was Airing "Grievances"

010412frap.jpg
(CBS 2)
A Queens man has been arrested in connection to a string of arson attacks in Jamaica, Queens and on Long Island Sunday night. Police say Ray Lazier Lengend, 40, has "made incriminating statements" about throwing Molotov cocktails fashioned out of Starbucks Frappuccino bottles at private residences, a deli, and an Islamic center. "The individual is implicating himself in each of the five firebombing cases, citing personal grievances with each location," police spokesman Paul Browne told reporters last night. See, it's never too late to get swept up in the Festivus spirit!

No one was injured in the attacks, which caused various degrees of property damage, but Lengend faces five counts of criminal possession of a weapon, one count of arson as a hate crime and four counts of arson. Investigators say he made anti-Islamic statements during his interrogation, and a police source tells the Times that he initially planned to use all his Frappuccino firebombs at the Islamic center, but was scared off by a police presence there. Besides his alleged anti-Islamic ire, Lengend was also peeved at the center's refusal to let him use the bathroom one time.

It seems the first attack Sunday night, against the deli, was payback for getting busted shoplifting. The deli's owner tells the Times that an employee caught Lengend stealing milk and—you guessed it—one of his precious Starbucks Frappuccinos. As they threw him out of the store, Lengend allegedly told the owner, "We’re going to get even. We’re going to get back at you." On Sunday night, he allegedly tossed a flaming bottle over the counter, and it was quickly extinguished, causing no damage.

Police say various other personal grievances were cited in the other attacks, but that Lengend had mistaken one of the private residences as the home of a "crack dealer" with whom he had a dispute, Reuters reports. And an attack on a residence that doubles as a Hindu place of worship may no longer be occupied by a man Lengend had a dispute with years ago. His arrest record includes drug possession, grand larceny and possession of bad checks. “I’m optimistic this is going to lead to a successful conclusion," NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly told CBS2 yesterday.

Detectives tracked Lengend down using a description of the vehicle, which witnesses said had Virginia plates. Lengend allegedly stole the gray, four-door Buick Regal from Avis at JFK on Friday morning. Investigators spotted it parked legally in Jamaica last night, and arrested Lengend when he came for the car. Inside, they found three more empty Frappuccino bottles in the back seat.

Starbucks has thus far declined to comment about the use of Frappuccino bottles in the firebombings, but a retired New York Police Department Bomb Squad technician tells the Times, "They are excellent for what you need, because it is a weak-sided bottle with a screw-on cap. It is small enough to be concealed in your pocket and it fits in your hand, so you can throw it almost like a Nerf football. It’s a small projectile you can get a good grip on and you can toss it."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

Comments [rss]

  • SonnyBobiche

    So now,  between this guy and the elevator fire bomber, the solution to personal problems is always death by fire?

    Refused me the use of bathroom = dead
    Accused me of stealing = dead
    Owes me money for drugs = dead  (pretty common equation, though)

    Also, what's with the "Royal We".  Is there more than one voice in his head?

  • DrSysz

    Just be glad he was both dumb and unlucky. Violent revenge is one thing but it takes a special kind of asshole to choose a means of revenge that can so easily kill many innocents.

    Memories of Happy Land fire.....

  • Midnight Fapper

    Quite the legend indeed, this man was the inspiration for Grand Theft Auto.

  • whodiditandran

    He was throwing Molotov cocktals to air his grievences? Would he have been throwing chickens if he'd had a bone to pick?

  • crazytodde

    He missed Festivus by a long shot.

    *EDIT* damn Joel_Cairo beat me to it

  • picaflor

    "...but was scared off by a police presence there."

    Doing surveillance, perhaps?

    But anyhow, he is damn lucky no one got hurt.

  • How did I guess this guy was driving a stolen rental car with out-of-state plates - it's a lowlife trifecta!

  • Joel_Cairo

    AH...FESTIVUS!!

  • AaronRed99

    Proving that all crimes are hate crimes.

  • Guest

    I agree.  Hate crimes are dumb.  And charging this guy, who firebombed 5 places with which he had grievances, with only one hate crime, shows just how dumb they truly are.  

  • jibbly
  • Guest

    Remember criminals, keep your thoughts to yourself, or the law will prosecute you for them.

  • evbo

    Off-topic, but some hydrogenous flatulence is really bothering me this morning. Carry on.

  • Guest

    Your farts are full of hydrogen.  Get thee to the doctor quickly before your butt explodes.

  • Guest

    Miranda rights are just a formality. And, they have nothing to do with "hate" crimes since the accused is being charged from hearsay, not what law enforcement heard directly.

  • Rocknrope

    Bye-bye, kook.

blog comments powered by Disqus

send a tip

tips@gothamist.com