By Stephen Stirling
Konstantinos Mavrikos, 22, of 149-16 19th Ave., was arrested on arson and child endangerment charges after allegedly throwing a bottle filled with a flammable liquid at the side of William H. Carr Junior High School last Thursday evening and another on the front steps of the school Friday morning, authorities said.The devices, which police did not elaborate on, caused minor damage to the sides and front stairs of the school. No injuries were reported in either incident, police said.”The children were not in danger at any time,” said 109th Precinct Community Affairs Officer Kevin O'Donnell.The two incidents, the second of which occurred near dismissal time Friday, nonetheless struck the nerves of parents, who frantically asked police what was happening as they came to pick up their children.”I knew it was bad when I saw all the lights and the police tape,” one parent said from her car. “It's scary when you see that and you don't know what's happening. You instantly think the worst.”Authorities said students were kept in their classrooms after the second incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. Streets were locked down and fire and police officials flooded the scene, where authorities said a witness told police that a man threw the device out of the window of his car as he drove by.Police said the witness wrote down the car's license plate number, which investigators traced back to Mavrikos's home.Police said Mavrikos, who neighbors said attended the school as a child, was placed under arrest about 30 minutes later.The school's principal, Anne Marie Iannizzi, said she was proud of how the situation was handled.”Students were dismissed in an orderly fashion,” she said in a statement on the school's Web site. “I wish to thank the students, staff and parents for their cooperation and am proud of the way everyone responded to this emergency.”The first incident occurred after school hours, at about 5 p.m. last Thursday evening. Mavrikos was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court Friday, but no return date was set as of press time.Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at Sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
