City fire marshals arrested a 28-year-old man suspected of lighting a ticket booth on fire at the 18th Avenue Festival in Bensonhurst on Aug. 24.
“Arson is not only a serious crime but also an extremely reckless act that can have devastating effects on the entire community,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro in a statement. “Our Fire Marshals quickly apprehended this individual before he caused any further damage or harm to New Yorkers.”
Surveillance footage from the scene on Aug. 24, released by the FDNY on Sept. 5, shows a man dousing fluid on a ticket booth and then setting it aflame around 1 am. The incident occurred after the streets had cleared out from that night of the 10-day festival, which ran from Aug. 19 to Aug. 29.
FDNY Fire Marshals apprehended the suspected fire-raiser on Sept. 2 — nine days after the incident — on charges of arson, criminal mischief and reckless mismanagement.
The 18th Avenue Feast, also known as the Feast of Saint Rosalia, returned this year to celebrate Bensonhurst’s strong Italian history year from a one-year hiatus attributable to the ongoing pandemic, just like many other street festivals across Brooklyn and beyond.
The event’s organizers could not be reached for comment by press time.
