Man arrested for allegedly setting fires in his own restaurant amid COVID pandemic
A Queens restaurant owner was busted for starting several small fires in his own eatery — likely due to financial woes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to officials and sources.
Asif Raja, 54, of New Jersey, allegedly used a flammable liquid to set multiple fires inside the Ignited Restaurant & Lounge on Steinway Street restaurant near 30th Avenue in Astoria the night of Aug. 4, officials said Sunday.
Video released by the FDNY shows Raja climbing a ladder and lighting a fire on the ceiling of the eatery. He is also seen pouring the liquid on tables and chairs, setting them ablaze. He ran off after the incident.
Firefighters responded to a report of a “gas odor” inside the restaurant around 10:15 p.m., at which time the building’s sprinkler system had already extinguished the flames. No firefighters or civilians were hurt.
Fire marshals determined that the fire was suspicious — and Raja was busted following an extensive investigation conducted by the FDNY and the Strategic Explosive and Arson Response Task Force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Raja owns the lounge and got inside with his own keys, FDNY sources said. He is believed to have lit the fires because of the financial strain of the pandemic, according to the sources.
He is charged with one count of arson — and could spend between five and 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is prosecuting the case.
“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 FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said in a statement. “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.”