Firebombing in Wueens
By Matie Singh
New York: When a family got to their Ozone Park, New York City home about 5pm, on January 5th, 2001, they found their front window shattered. "It seems like baseball bats were usedthe shades were brokenthat's how hard they hit the windows in broad daylight," said Anand Nath, a computer programmer.
A few days later "we had a lead of the person but the police didn't act until they had evidence," Nath stated. "I decided to take matters into my own hands."
On the corner of the roof above the front door, Nath installed a small black video camera. "We've been recording 24/7," Nath continued.
On March 2nd, while studying, Nath's 16-year old son "woke us up when he heard someone trying to break the windowwe saw a guy running towards 107th Avenue. By now the fire is shooting up about three feet in the air," Nath said. They called the fire department who then "doused it out."
A review of the videotape showed that a man had stopped his Mustang outside the home, crept up to it and threw a firebomb at the house. "We caught him fully on tape," Nath declared.
The homemade firebomb hit the side of the two-story brick house and started a small blaze near the house's base. "The tape shows a young man tossing an object, then fleeing," Nath continued
"A couple of minutes later, the same young man traveled around the corner to 111th Street, planning to throw another firebomb at the house of a friend of Nath's 16-year old," police said. But he mistakenly hit another house.
With the help of the videotape, the license plate of a Mustang was discovered. Within hours the police arrested 21-years old Davendra Persaud, who was allegedly upset that his 14-year-old sister was dating Nath's 16-year-old son who lives on 112th Street in Ozone Park. Nath says his son is "just friends" with the girl and is not dating her. But authorities say the girl's brother, Persaud, disapproving of what he suspects was a romantic relationship, lashed out.
Persaud was charged with two counts of arson and criminal mischief.
On March 6th another molotov cocktail was heaved at the Naths residence. Though little damage was done, again, the incident was caught on tape. "A repeat of March 2nd," Nath continued. "We caught them on camera. They thought we would let down our guard? These guys think if they don't get caught it's okthis is dumb! How could one be so stupid?" Nath asked.
The police say four friends accompanied Persaud in the attacks. After Persaud's arrest, the four men returned to the home because "their friend Davendra Persaud was in jail and they wanted to take the heat off of him," said Chief Fire Marshal Louis Garcia.
Two more arrests were made a few days after the second firebombing. Police says Isaac Mann and Krishna Singh, both 18, of Ozone Park, confessed to their involvement in the firebomb attempt on the Nath's home. Subsequently Simon Seecharan, 18, and Indar Pittam, 22, of South Ozone Park, were arrested and charged with participating in two attacks on the Naths home, police said.
Thus far, five people have been charged. At least one more suspect is being sought, according to police. Charges include attempted arson, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon in a firebombing attempt. Mann and Singh also were charged in several other unrelated robberies, police said.
The Naths, meanwhile, are considering a civil suit against the Persauds. "They haven't even come forward and apologized," said Nath's wife, Ruby, a clerical worker. "If it was my son that was charged, I would have contacted the family and said, 'I'm sorry.'"
The families of the five men arrested could not be reached for comment.