Molotov Cocktail Attacks Were Hate Crimes
A Queens Village man was arraigned at his bedside at Bellevue Hospital Center last Thursday, Jan. 5, on arson and bias charges for throwing Molotov cocktails at four occupied Jamaica buildings-two of which were places of worship-on New Year’s night, Jan. 1.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown identified the defendant as Ray Lazier Lengend, 40, of 215th Street in Queens Village, who was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center last Wednesday, Jan. 4, for observation. He was charged with one count of first-degree arson as a hate crime, three counts of first-degree arson, one count of first-degree attempted arson, ten counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, one count of thirddegree unauthorized use of a vehicle and one count of attempted petit larceny.
If convicted, Lengend faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
“Flames from such crude incendiary devices can spread quickly and have the potential to cause serious injury or death – to those in and around the buildings or to firefighters charged with fighting the blazes. Fortunately, that did not occur in this case,” Brown said. “Equally troubling is the allegation that in at least one instance the defendant’s actions were instigated by hate. Hate crimes-whether they be motivated by religion, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender-will not be tolerated, and when they do regrettably occur, they will be condemned in the strongest possible terms and those responsible will be brought to justice to answer for their actions.”
According to the criminal complaint, Lengend drove a silver Buick Regal with Virginia license plates- which had been stolen from a rental car facility at John F. Kennedy International Airport-to a gas station located at the intersection of the Van Wyck Expressway and Hillside Avenue during the early evening hours
–SEE BIAS ON PG. 36-
