Jan. 25, 2021 By Michael Dorgan
The owner of a hookah lounge in Astoria was arrested for setting his own restaurant on fire after authorities got their hands on video that captured the incident.
Asif Raja, 54, was caught on CCTV footage lighting multiple fires inside Ignited Restaurant and Lounge, located at 30-27 Steinway St., on Aug. 4, according to the FDNY.
Raja, who is from New Jersey, can be seen dousing tables and chairs using a flammable liquid and then setting them ablaze. He then runs out through the kitchen and switches the lights off before leaving the premises.
Firefighters were called to the scene at around 10:15 p.m. after receiving reports of a gas odor and, upon arrival, discovered that the sprinkler system had put out the flames, the FDNY said.
Fire Marshals investigated the scene and determined that the cause of the fire was suspicious. They arrested Raja with the help of the Strategic Explosive and Arson Response Task Force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“We are extremely grateful that no one was injured during this incident and for the collaboration between all the law enforcement agencies involved in bringing this individual to justice,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro.
“This arrest demonstrates the strategic value of this Joint Task Force and their ability to hold those that purposely set fires in this city accountable.”
Raja will appear in a Brooklyn federal court charged with one count of arson that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison if convicted. The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison.
(FDNY and Google Maps)
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9 Comments
what about the businesses/residences around this bar. I am sure they were affected as well.
The name of the lounge is Ignited and nobody saw this coming?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism
“Ignite”
Good job by FDNY and ATF.
“And I woulda gotten away with it, if it weren’t for those pesky security cameras I installed.”
This is crazy, why can’t he just file bankruptcy if his business is really that bad? How could he put lives of fire fighters and other people around at risk like this?
Caught on his own security cam. Not too bright, is he?
Lock him up to the max!!!
Wait. The owner didn’t know there were security cameras? Also, this place had an appropriate name, eh?